Florica's Fortunes
by Jestress
Summary: Another Halloween story! (Because Jestress has a Halloween obsession.) What starts out as a simple courier assignment adds some unexpected excitement to Amanda's Halloween.
1. The Pumpkin Patch

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the tv show Scarecrow and Mrs. King or any of its characters. All I own is the dvd copies, and apparently, that's not enough to give me any kind of legal claim. I didn't get any money from writing this, either. In fact, nobody even gave me candy! I had to steal it myself from the candy bowl. Poor Jestress. (Oh, wait, there are Kit Kat bars in here. And Reese's Pieces! That's okay, then.)

**Explanation:** Shortly before last Halloween, I was attacked by vicious plot bunnies while watching the Scarecrow and Mrs. King dvds I got for my birthday. I spent Halloween night writing this while sitting by the front door wearing my witch's costume and waiting for trick-or-treaters. Halloween is my favorite holiday because it comes so soon after my birthday. Give presents in the form of reviews! :D

**Florica's Fortunes**

**By Jestress**

**Chapter 1: The Pumpkin Patch**

Amanda wasn't happy with her latest assignment. Lee knew how she hated to have to have her work around her family, but he insisted that it was only going to be a short errand in a place that she was likely to go anyway. What better cover for passing a message to someone in a pumpkin patch than a mother taking her children to pick out pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns? The pumpkin patch had been set up in the parking lot of a shopping center only about a mile from Amanda's house, a natural place for Amanda to take the boys, and when she suggested it to her mother, Dotty instantly approved.

Soon, Philip and Jamie were happily running around the pumpkin patch, trying to find the biggest pumpkins they could.

"But not too big, boys!" Dotty called after them. "Remember, they charge by the pound! Oh, this brings back memories of when you were little, Amanda. I remember one year when your father and I had to talk you out of buying a pumpkin almost as big as you were . . ."

"Yes, Mother," Amanda said, spotting the man that Lee had described to her manning the cash register, "but just a moment, I want to go ask that man a question."

"Ask him what, dear?" Dotty said as she continued watching the boys on their hunt for the perfect pumpkins.

"I, uh, want to see if they have any ghost pumpkins," Amanda said.

"Ghost pumpkins?"

"Yes, you know, the ones with the white skin instead of the usual orange," Amanda explained.

"I don't think I see any of those," Dotty said.

"Well, I'll just check and see if he has some more on his truck," Amanda said, slipping away before her mother could ask anything else.

When she got to the cash register, Amanda asked the man whether he had any ghost pumpkins, just as she had told her mother she would. It was the first part of the recognition code that Lee had given her.

"We did have some, ma'am," the man replied, "but I'm afraid that most of the crop was destroyed by bad weather."

"Oh, that's too bad," Amanda said, continuing with the code. "I hear that the weather has been really bad in Topeka."

Why in Topeka, Amanda had no idea. It was probably just that most people in Arlington wouldn't be likely to mention Topeka, so it was safe to use it in the recognition code.

"Yes, the worst in years," the man said, completing the code. "We're collecting for the disaster relief." That was her cue.

"I have something for you," Amanda said, handing him the envelope she'd been carrying in her purse.

"It is much appreciated," the man said. "I have something for you, too."

Then, he handed her a small keychain with a pumpkin on it. No key, just a little pumpkin charm on the chain. It was made out of plastic and had a jack-o-lantern face with triangle eyes and a mouth with vampire-like fangs. This wasn't part of the routine that Lee had told her to expect.

"But—but, sir," Amanda sputtered. "I think there's been a mistake. I didn't expect . . . I didn't think you would give me anything . . . "

"No, no," the man said. "It's a present from me, just to say thanks. Keep it and use it well." He smiled and nodded reassuringly at her.

Not knowing what else to do, Amanda smiled and nodded back, dropping the little keychain into her purse.

"Amanda," Dotty called to her, "could you give me a hand? I think we've definitely decided on one pumpkin. The boys are fighting over it now. I need your help finding another one that's about the same size."

"I saw it first!" Philip insisted.

"No, I saw it first!" Jamie argued.

"Philip! Jamie! Nice as that one is, I'm sure there's another one around here that's just as nice," Amanda said, turning her attention back to her family.

"Did they have the ghost pumpkins you were looking for?" Dotty asked.

"What? Oh, no, they didn't," Amanda said. "The crop was destroyed by bad weather."

"Oh, that's too bad," Dotty said. "Your uncle Melvin had that problem once, back when he had that farm near Topeka."

Amanda paused for a moment and then shrugged it off. She was more worried about the little pumpkin keychain. Lee had told her that she was merely dropping a message off, not picking anything up. She had no idea what the keychain was for, but she wanted to get it to Lee as soon as possible in case it was important.

"Well, maybe they'll be selling pumpkins at the carnival at school," Dotty continued. "You might be able to find one there. When did you say you were going over to help them set up?"

"Hmm? Oh, this evening, Mother," Amanda said. "They're putting up the tents and most of the decorations tonight. After we get the pumpkins for the boys, I'm going to head over to the school."

Actually, she would be leaving a couple of hours early for the carnival set-up, but it was a convenient excuse to slip away and meet Lee. As soon as she got home, she would call him to make sure that he was at the Agency.

"What about dinner? Aren't you going to have dinner with us?"

Amanda had been so concerned about the keychain that she had almost forgotten about dinner.

"They'll have food for us there," Amanda said, making a mental note to pick up something for herself on her way back from the Agency.

"That's good," Dotty said. "I'm almost finished with your costume. By tomorrow morning, it should be ready for you to try on."

"Thanks," Amanda said with a smile. "I'm sure it's going to be great."

Twenty minutes later, they managed to find another pumpkin that (more or less) satisfied the boys. It was very similar in size and shape to the first one they'd found, but both of the boys were still eyeing the first one. Even though Amanda had a hard time telling the two pumpkins apart, she had a feeling that the boys would start fighting over them again when it was time to carve them.

"Look what the man at the register gave me," Dotty said after they'd checked out. She held out a little keychain with a pumpkin charm on it, similar to Amanda's. "Isn't it cute?"

"Yes, it is. It's very cute," Amanda said. Now she was even more confused.

Maybe the keychain really didn't have anything to do with the message she'd just delivered. Maybe the man at the register gave them out to everyone he talked to just as a promotional item. But he had made it a point to tell her to use it well. Amanda shook her head and decided to concentrate on getting her mother and the boys home. Then, she would go talk to Lee.

Amanda and her family left the pumpkin lot, never noticing the two men who stood at the far edge of it, taking pictures of everyone.


	2. The Keychain

**Chapter 2: The Keychain**

"Wait, it's in here somewhere," Amanda said, rooting around in the bottom of her purse.

Lee rolled his eyes at Billy and refrained from making comments about the black holes in the bottom of women's purses. Billy just smiled.

"Found it!" Amanda said triumphantly. She pulled the little keychain out of her purse and handed it to Lee. Lee took it from her and studied it.

As far as he could tell, it was just an ordinary keychain with a plastic jack-o-lantern charm on it.

"Max wasn't supposed to give you anything. He was just supposed to take the message from you," Lee said.

Amanda shrugged. "He insisted that I take it and told me to use it well. Does that mean anything to you?"

"No," Lee said. Looking at the pumpkin more closely, he could see a thin seam where the two halves of the pumpkin separated. He shook the little pumpkin near his ear, but nothing rattled.

"Let me see it," Billy said. Lee handed it over.

"It may be nothing," Amanda said. "The man also gave Mother a keychain when she bought the boys' pumpkins. I just don't understand why he told me to 'use it well.'"

"It's worth checking out," Billy said. "I'll have some of our people take a look at it. Thank you, Amanda."

"Thank you, sir," Amanda said. "Oh, and I'm nearly finished with the typing you gave me on Tuesday."

"That's fine, Amanda," Billy said. "It doesn't have to be ready until Monday."

"I'll have it ready, sir."

As Amanda and Lee left Billy's office, Amanda said, "I know that you're probably going to tell me that this is on a need-to-know basis only, but you were awfully mysterious about that envelope that you had me take to the pumpkin patch. What kind of a message did I deliver that you wouldn't expect a reply to? Not that you really have to tell me, if you can't tell me, but if you could, I'd like to know."

Although it was awkwardly phrased, Lee understood what she was asking.

"The man you spoke to, who gave you the keychain, was Max. Max is currently in charge of a team investigating rumors of an assassination attempt. I know that I'm being vague about things, but frankly, the rumors that we've heard have been pretty vague. We don't know who is planning the assassination or even who the likely victim is."

"Then, how do you know that anyone's even planning an assassination?" Amanda asked.

"It's because of Max. Technically, he retired from the Agency several years ago, but he still helps out occasionally. He spends most of his time helping his brother, who owns a farm. That's why he was selling pumpkins."

"It isn't just a cover for him?"

"No, he does that every Halloween. Anyway, he gets around a lot while helping his brother sell produce, and he hears things. Recently, he heard a rumor that someone important is going to be murdered around Halloween."

"Who?"

"We don't know yet. So far, all he's told us is that the rumor came to him through a friend of his who works for a catering company. The assassination is supposed to take place at a Halloween party where some prominent people will be present, but Max's friend wasn't able to tell him much more than that. Max isn't even sure whether the original source of the rumor is reliable, so he asked us for a few people who can help him investigate further. The message you gave him was a list of the agents that have been assigned to the case and how to contact them."

"There isn't much time left before Halloween. It's only next week."

"I know, and for all we know, the party might be taking place even before Halloween. Halloween takes place on a weekday this year, so a lot of people will have their parties over the weekend."

"The Agency must really value Max to put him in charge of an investigation like that when he doesn't seem to have much to go on," Amanda said.

"He was one of the best in his day, and he's still pretty sharp," Lee said. "He wouldn't have bothered contacting us unless he took the rumor seriously himself. Even though the details might be doubtful, he seriously believes that there is going to be an assassination attempt of some kind. And if he believes it, I believe it."

"I just wish I knew what the keychain was for. He never told me what I was supposed to do with it. I was hoping that you would know," Amanda said.

"Don't worry about it. Our people will figure it out."

"Well, I'd better get going," Amanda said. "I've got to grab something to eat before I head over to the school."

"Head over to the school?" Lee asked, checking his watch. "Why are you going over there now?"

"We're setting up for the school's Halloween carnival," Amanda explained. "It's going to be this Saturday. All of the PTA members have to be there, and there will be a lot of other volunteer workers."

"Oh. Well, I was just about to grab something myself. Want to come along?"

"Alright," Amanda said with a smile. "But, we'll have to hurry. Mrs. Kelly is a stickler for being on time."

"Who is Mrs. Kelly?"

"She's the new president of the PTA."

"Ah. Well, we'd better get going, then. We'll take my car. Do burgers sound okay?"

"Burgers are fine."


	3. Mrs Kelly

**Chapter 3: Mrs. Kelly**

Getting dinner took a little longer than Amanda thought it would because one of the servers accidentally gave them the wrong order.

"No," Lee said for the second time. "We both had burgers. Neither of us ordered fish."

"But, weren't you the party who ordered baked beans and a side salad instead of fries?" the server asked, frowning at the receipt in his hand.

"I didn't know this restaurant had baked beans as an option, but I wouldn't have ordered them even if I did," Lee said firmly.

"Sorry, sir," the server said, removing the tray with the wrong order.

Amanda glanced nervously at her watch.

"I know you're worried about the time," Lee said gently. "I can take you directly to the school if you want, so we don't have to go all the way back to the Agency to get your car."

"That would be nice," Amanda said, "but it would be better for me to drive over to the school myself. After all, my friends on the PTA really shouldn't see me with you."

Lee gave her a slightly offended look.

"Well, you know, we don't want them to find out about my connection with the Agency," Amanda reminded him. "Besides, if they see us together, they might get the idea that we're, you know, seeing each other. I mean, we see each other, but not like—"

"I understand," Lee said.

From some of the things Amanda had told him before, gossip was a major pastime among the PTA members, and anything they gossiped about would soon be spread around the neighborhood and would eventually reach Amanda's mother. If Dotty got the idea that her daughter had a new boyfriend, she would grill her like the burgers that Lee and Amanda were still waiting for.

"So, this Mrs. Kelly is big on punctuality," Lee said. "Is she as bad as Billy?"

"She's not as accurate as he is, but much less forgiving," Amanda said, propping up her chin with one hand.

"That doesn't sound like a glowing character assessment. Is she really that bad?"

"Generally, she's a very demanding person. Mrs. Kelly is trying to make this the biggest Halloween carnival we've ever had, and she's very particular."

"Really? In what way?"

"Well, the other day, she threw a fit when she found out that the fire codes wouldn't allow us to line the midway with jack-o-lanterns that had real candles inside them."

"She wanted to have real fire around the kids?" Lee raised his eyebrows.

"Yes," Amanda sighed. "Although, mainly it was because she didn't think that the plastic pumpkins would look as good as real ones."

"Wouldn't it take a long time to carve enough pumpkins to line the entire midway?"

"Mrs. Kelly estimated that it would take about 200 pumpkins to cover the area that she wanted to cover. She wanted to have the children in grades four and five carve them as a special art project."

"Which would have involved giving the children sharp objects as well as fire," Lee said thoughtfully. "How did this woman end up as PTA president anyway?"

"Mainly, it's because her husband is the vice president of a company called Goreman Electronics. Before the last election, she let everyone know that he was thinking of making a large donation to the PTA, and she hinted around that if she was elected, that would guarantee it. She also said that her husband's company was willing to sponsor the Halloween carnival."

"So she got to be PTA president because of her husband's money and influence?"

Amanda nodded. "She won the vote, twelve to four."

"I suppose you were one of the four?"

"No, actually, I was one of the twelve."

"Why?" Lee asked, mystified. Amanda never struck him as the type to be swayed by money.

"Because the candidates were chosen by nomination, and I was the only other person nominated. I like helping out with the PTA, but I don't want to be head of it again."

"Again?"

"Yeah, I was the head of the PTA two years ago. I don't want to do that again. Not after what happened at the school's Christmas pageant."

Lee grinned as Amanda described a fiasco with hyper-active children, a mix-up where they'd ended up with moose costumes instead of reindeer costumes, and a fight between two boys dressed as angels while parents argued over whether the music included in the pageant was too religious or not religious enough. Of course, the head of the PTA was the one everyone complained to, even though the choice of music was really the responsibility of the music teacher.

Their meals finally arrived while she was talking. Fortunately, the order was correct this time. After they finished eating, Lee offered again to drive Amanda to the school to save time, but Amanda insisted on returning to the Agency to get her own car so that she could drive it home after the carnival set-up.

When Amanda showed up at the school, preparations for the carnival were in full swing. People were everywhere, setting up tents and tables and rigging lights. Amanda only hoped that, with all the chaos, Mrs. Kelly wouldn't notice that she'd arrived late.

Jane Frankwell, one of Amanda's friends, was helping another woman hang a large banner over the midway. It read, "Calvin Elementary Halloween Carnival Sponsored by Goreman Electronics." Amanda noticed that "Goreman Electronics" was written larger than "Calvin Elementary."

"Excuse me, Jane, but have you seen Mrs. Kelly?" Amanda asked.

"She's in that tent over there, inspecting the equipment for some of the carnival games," Jane said, pointing to a large tent toward Amanda's right. From the way Jane rolled her eyes when she said it, Amanda could tell that Mrs. Kelly's opinion of the game equipment wasn't favorable.

Amanda sighed. If Mrs. Kelly was busy, perhaps she could avoid running into her for awhile.

"Can I give you a hand with anything?" Amanda asked Jane.

"You certainly can, Mrs. King, now that you've finally arrived," said a snippy voice behind Amanda.

Amanda jumped and turned to face Mrs. Kelly, who was giving her a disapproving look.

"You're nearly fifteen minutes late, Mrs. King," she added.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Kelly," Amanda said. "I had to drop something off at work—"

"Save the excuses! Let's just get busy," Mrs. Kelly said, studying the clipboard she always carried with her and used when assigning tasks. "I have a list of things for you to do."

"Where would you like me to begin?" Amanda asked, silently reminding herself that it was all for the benefit of the children.

"There's something wrong with one of the strings of lights that we were going to hang in the food tent," Mrs. Kelly said. "I want you to test all the bulbs to see if one is loose."

As far Mrs. Kelly's tasks usually went, this one didn't sound too bad.

"Alright," Amanda said.

"And when you've done that, the tubs for the apple-bobbing game need to be scrubbed. I don't know why everyone wants to play that game at all, really. It's just a way to spread germs."

"I see."

"And see if you can find some better-looking bean bags for the bean-bag toss. The ones we have look like they've seen better days, and none of them even match. The boards for the bean-bag toss look like they're badly-designed as well. Who was it who painted such weird monster faces on them?"

"The children, Mrs. Kelly," Amanda said, trying to keep her patience.

"Your children?" Mrs. Kelly asked with a disapproving sniff.

"No, Mrs. Kelly," Amanda said, desperately trying to keep a smile on her face. "They were painted by a group of children who won an art contest here several years ago."

"Oh," Mrs. Kelly said. "I don't suppose there's enough time to order new ones for this year's carnival, is there?"

"I don't think so," Amanda said, secretly grateful.

"Well, I have a list of things for you to pick up at a party supply store tomorrow. The store's address is at the top of the page. I've already placed the order, so all you need to do is bring them here tomorrow afternoon."

"Sure." Amanda accepted the list from Mrs. Kelly. It was three pages long and carefully itemized. "Some of the items seem to be crossed off."

"The ones that are crossed off are ones that I already have. My husband's company is providing some of the decorations, and of course, the shriekers."

There was noticeable wincing from Amanda and other bystanders at the mention of the shriekers. Mrs. Kelly ignored it.

"We'll be assembling the supplies and taking a thorough inventory starting at 4 pm sharp. Don't be late." With that, Mrs. Kelly turned and left to go order other people around.

Jane tied off her end of the sign and walked over to Amanda. "Things would have been a lot better if you'd been PTA president this year."

"I've already been president once," Amanda said. "I'm happy to let someone else have a turn."

"She doesn't really care about making the children or anyone else happy," Jane continued. "She's only out to promote her husband's company."

Amanda nodded silently in agreement.

"Someday, I'm going to get back at her for making me dress as the 'Good Fairy,'" Jane added. "Have you seen the costume she dug up for that? I'm going to give the kids pink, glittery nightmares!"

Amanda cringed at the memory of the Good Fairy costume. If she had been just a little shorter, the nightmare could have been hers.

"Mother's helping to make my costume."

"How's that coming?"

"Just fine. She said that I could try it on later tonight. Madame Florica should be ready in plenty of time for Saturday."


	4. Max is Missing

**Chapter 4: Max is Missing**

"I have some disturbing news, Scarecrow," Billy said, approaching Lee's desk the next day. "We haven't been able to get in touch with Max since Amanda met him at the pumpkin patch. Even his family doesn't know where he is."

"You mean he just vanished without a word to anyone?" Lee asked. "Did he try to contact any of the people on the list Amanda gave him?"

"They all say that when he spoke to them, he told them that their services were no longer necessary."

"What is that supposed to mean? Was the rumor a false alarm?"

"I don't know yet. The last time Max's brother saw him, he said that he was going to see a friend who works for Top Notch Catering. They buy some of their produce through Max. Max's brother has never spoken directly with the buyer there, but he knows that it's a woman named Olivia. I want you to find her, Scarecrow, and see if she knows anything about Max."

"No problem," Lee said.

However, Max's disappearance was unsettling. If there was no truth to the assassination rumor, then why had Max disappeared? And if the rumor was true, then why did he tell the other agents that he wouldn't need their help? Lee got out the phone book and looked up the phone number and address for Top Notch Catering.

When Lee called up the company, the woman who answered confirmed that one of the people responsible for buying food and supplies was named Olivia Durbin. Olivia Durbin was out of town that day, but the receptionist made an appointment for Lee to meet with her when she arrived back at work the next day.

Lee tried to ask if there was another number where he could reach Olivia, but the receptionist didn't know. She didn't even know exactly where Olivia had gone.

The delay made Lee nervous. If Max's life was in danger, they needed to find him soon.

He fingered the little pumpkin keychain sitting on his desk. Once the lab and Cryptology had finished inspecting it, Billy had returned it to him. No one had been able to find anything remotely unusual about it. No hidden messages, nothing.

Lee sighed, slipping it into his pocket. Since it looked like it was just an ordinary keychain, he might as well give the thing back to Amanda.

Speaking of Amanda, Lee spotted her as she came through the door. She waved at him as she passed his desk.

"Amanda? What are you doing here? I thought that you had today off," Lee said.

"Well, I do, but I finished that typing for Mr. Melrose this morning, and I wanted to drop it off."

"I thought it wasn't due until Monday."

"It isn't, really, but the Halloween carnival is tomorrow, and I wanted to be sure that I got it done before then. Also, I had an errand to run not far from here, so I thought that I would just bring it over."

"Oh, I see. Well, it's good that you're here. Amanda, did Max say anything else to you yesterday, other than the recognition code and what he told you about the keychain?"

"No. Why?"

Lee sighed. "He's missing. I was hoping that he might have said something to you that would give us a clue."

"Sorry, Lee. That's all he said." Amanda shrugged helplessly. "Do you think it has something to do with the rumor you were telling me about? Do you think it's true?"

"I don't know. I won't really be able to do anything until I speak with the source of the rumor, a friend of Max's who works for a catering company, and I won't be able to do that until tomorrow."

"I wish there was something I could do to help."

"I can't think of anything right now. Billy's already spoken to Max's family, and they don't know anything."

Amanda nodded sympathetically. "Well, I'd better get this typing to Mr. Melrose."

"Hey, I could use a break. How would you like to get a cup of coffee with me while I clear my head?" Lee suggested.

"That sounds nice, but there are a few things I need to pick up for the carnival. Mrs. Kelly gave me a list of things to get from a party supply store, and I have to drop them off at the school later this afternoon," Amanda said, pulling a folded list out of her purse and showing it to Lee.

"Let me see," Lee said. Amanda handed him the list.

Lee glanced over the list of items with raised eyebrows. "Why do you need 200 pairs of Groucho Marx glasses? Don't tell me that they're for Mrs. Kelly's 200 pumpkins."

"No, they're not for the pumpkins. Mrs. Kelly is afraid that some people will show up to the carnival without costumes and that it will spoil the atmosphere, so she wants to have something that we can hand out to them to wear."

"And she really expects that people will wear those things even if someone gives them a pair for free? What about the fishbowl? What's that for?" Lee asked, noticing that the item had been written in the margin, in Amanda's handwriting.

"It's for me," Amanda said. "I'm playing Madame Florica, the gypsy fortune-teller, and she needs a crystal ball."

"How did you get that role?"

"I was one of the last to pick, and the only other choice was the Good Fairy in charge of the play area for the littlest children. Mrs. Kelly is providing that costume, and apparently, I'm too tall to wear it. I'm better off as the fortune-teller, anyway. I've seen the Good Fairy costume."

Lee's eyes traveled further down the list, past the prizes for carnival games, orange and black plastic tablecloths, and various types of decorations.

"What's this thing here that's crossed off?" he asked. "It looks like shakers. Is Mrs. Kelly making you guys use fancy salt and pepper shakers or something?"

"No, those aren't shakers," Amanda said. "They're _shriekers_, and they're crossed off because Mrs. Kelly already has them."

"What are shriekers?" Lee asked.

"They're these little battery-operated toys shaped like skulls in different colors, and when you turn them on, they shriek and make this kind of evil-sounding laugh and other noises like that. They're supposed to be prizes for some of the games."

"This Mrs. Kelly really wants to give loud, screaming toys to children who have probably been eating lots of sugary things at a Halloween carnival?" Lee asked with raised eyebrows.

Amanda smiled. Even though Lee had never had any children, it pleased her that he seemed to instinctively understand a few things about kids, even more than Mrs. Kelly, who had two of her own.

"It's because Goreman Electronics makes them," Amanda said. "Really, a large part of the carnival this year seems to be about promoting his company's products."

"Like what?"

"Besides making little battery-operated electronic toys, they also make larger electronic displays, decorations, and automatons, like the kind in commercial haunted houses and fun houses. In fact, they're converting the school's cafeteria into a haunted house. All the kids have been eating their lunches in their classrooms for the past week."

"I'm amazed that your PTA has the money for a big production like this," Lee said.

"We didn't until Mr. Kelly made his generous donation and supplied everything for the haunted house for free."

"Ah, let me guess," Lee said. "He's probably inviting some business associates to the carnival to give them a demonstration of his products, right?"

Amanda nodded grimly. "That's right, and that's why Mrs. Kelly insists that everything has to be perfect. You should see what the people in charge of the food have to pick up."

"I hope Mrs. Kelly and her husband are picking up the bill for all this," Lee said, turning the pages of the list.

"It's all taken care of. In fact, I don't really have to pick out any of the items on this list myself. Mrs. Kelly said that she already placed an order with the party supply store on 5th St., and I just have to go pick it up."

Lee glanced down at the list again. "This looks like a lot for one person to handle all at once. Tell you what, I think I know where this party supply store is. I could go help you pick up what you need, and we can get some coffee at a little café I know that's nearby."

"You really want to help?"

"Sure!"

"Thanks, Lee."

"Anytime." Lee smiled as he placed his hand on Amanda's back, guiding her over to the elevator.

When he'd first started working with Amanda, an ordinary housewife who just happened to be in the right place at the right time to help him when he was in a tight spot, he had thought of her as a nuisance. She was inexperienced and interfering with a tendency to get herself in over her head. But, somewhere along the line, she'd turned into a good friend and helpful partner. Lee liked to think it was his influence on her, but he had to admit that she had good instincts, too.

More than that, she could be good company. Although she had a tendency to be a chatterbox, Lee sometimes found it relaxing to talk things over with her. Even her little stories about the kids and the eccentricities of the PTA members were refreshing after a day of discussing terrorist threats and international criminals.

Lee never would have thought it possible before he met Amanda, but she had a way of making ordinary, suburban life sound almost appealing. Almost. That is, Lee could understand why people might like it. Some people, anyway, if not him. At least, it sounded pleasant enough. Not that he would ever say so.

Amanda smiled at Lee as they got off the elevator, and he smiled back. One of the benefits of his lifestyle was that he had a number of interesting stories, too. He was sure that he could think of a couple that would impress Amanda this afternoon.

Lee temporarily put all thought of assassinations out of his mind and focused on enjoying his errand/coffee break with Amanda. While they picked up the party supplies, she described the gypsy costume that her mother was making for her. Over coffee, Lee told her all about a real gypsy that he had met once on a mission in Spain, and they debated about whether fortune-telling ever actually works.

"I don't believe in any of that fortune-telling stuff. It's just superstition or something that people use to make money off of gullible people," Lee said.

"I don't know," Amanda said. "I kind of like to believe in the possibility that some of that stuff might be true."

"If any fortune-teller's predictions come true, it's usually because someone makes up their mind that they want it to come true," Lee insisted. "Have you ever had a prediction that came true for you?"

"Not really. Well, the last prediction I had was in a fortune cookie the night before last. It said that I would soon be dining with a tall, dark, handsome man."

Lee paused for a moment's reflection. "Well, okay, two out of three wasn't bad."

"If it had listed one of the qualities as 'modest,' I'd know it wasn't you."

Lee grinned.

After their coffee, Amanda drove Lee back to the Agency. (They'd had to take Amanda's station wagon because his car would never hold all the things on Mrs. Kelly's list.) By that time, Lee was thinking a little more clearly and feeling less frustrated.

"I think I'll scout out the Top Notch Catering Company this afternoon and this evening," he explained to Amanda. "I may not be able to speak with the person I need to speak to, but at least I can get an idea of the people who work there and who else might be hanging around. Max may have talked to some of the others there as well."

"Sounds like a good idea," Amanda commented. "Good luck!"

"I'm sorry that I can't help you unload all this stuff at the school."

"That's alright. I'll get some of the other PTA members to help when I get there. I need to swing by the pet store on the way to get my fishbowl."

"Oh, before I forget," Lee said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the pumpkin keychain. "Billy said that you can have this back. Our people couldn't find anything unusual about it."

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing. Looks like it's just an ordinary keychain. You might as well keep it and enjoy it."

Amanda thanked him and took the keychain. She still thought it was a little strange, but if no one could find anything special about it, she would take their word for it. Dropping the keychain into her purse once again, she turned her attention back to the school carnival and the supplies she had to deliver.

Lee headed back to the bullpen to see if there had been any news of Max and to tell Billy where he was going that evening.

Billy agreed that staking out the catering company was a good idea. "We've also heard from Max's brother again."

"Has he heard from Max?" Lee asked eagerly.

"No, but he says that someone has stolen the cashbox from the pumpkin patch."

"That's too bad, but it doesn't help with Max." Lee sighed.

"There's probably no connection, but he thought that he should tell us anyway."

"Yeah. I just hope that we hear something more definite about Max soon."


	5. The Shriekers

**Chapter 5: The Shriekers**

When she got to the school, Amanda parked her car as close to the carnival grounds as she could and went looking for Mrs. Kelly to find out where she should put the supplies.

The first person she ran into was Jane, who was carrying some boxes of her own.

"Help?" Jane asked pleadingly as she peered around the edge of the large box that was blocking her vision.

"Sure!" Amanda helped Jane load the boxes into her car.

"Oh, thank you!" Jane said, collapsing against the side of her car. "Do you know what Mrs. Kelly is having me do now?"

"What?"

"She's making me take all of these cookies back to the bakery where I got them because they have the wrong color of sprinkles on them! Sprinkles!" Jane started imitating Mrs. Kelly's bossy voice. "'I distinctly remember ordering black sprinkles on orange icing, and these sprinkles are clearly brown! Some of them even have yellow sprinkles! This is completely unacceptable!'"

"It seems like such a waste," Amanda said. "I doubt the children will care, and the cookies would just go to waste if you take them back."

"I know. Are you sure you don't want to stage a coup and take over the PTA? I'd gladly help with any mutiny you might be planning."

"I'm not planning a mutiny," Amanda insisted, "and I still don't want to be PTA president. Where is Mrs. Kelly now?"

"She's in the cafeteria . . . oh, excuse me, the haunted house. She told us all this afternoon that she doesn't want anyone to call it the cafeteria again until after the carnival is over. She says that it spoils the mood."

"I see," Amanda said. "Well, thank you."

The doors to the cafeteria (or "haunted house") were decorated with signs hinting at the dangers that waited inside and warning the fearful to turn back. Unlike the signs from previous years, these had been professionally printed instead of hand-drawn by the students. Amanda missed the hand-drawn ones.

Inside, heavy black curtains had been hung to form the walls of the haunted house. Most of the larger electronic displays were already in place, from the vampire that would rise out of his coffin when anyone came near it to the cackling witch stirring her cauldron. However, there were still a number of people running around, putting up last-minute decorations and testing all of the displays.

"Watch out!" one of the workmen warned Amanda as she stepped further into the haunted house. "You almost set off the electric eye!"

"Electric eye?" she asked.

"Even though everything is controlled from the catwalk," the man explained, pointing to the control panels on the scaffolding over their heads, "many of the devices in here are set off by electric eye. See, there's a beam that goes to that sensor over there, and if you get in the way and break the beam, it causes that skeleton to drop down from the ceiling."

"Oh! Well, thank you for telling me," Amanda said.

"Don't mention it. Just keep an eye out for sensors like that one. They'll be hard to see when the lights are dimmed, but you should be able to spot them pretty easily right now."

Amanda thanked the man again and continued looking for Mrs. Kelly, all the while watching carefully for the electric eye sensors. He was right, it wasn't too hard to spot them, now that she knew what to look for.

With all of the lights on, the displays didn't seem very scary, either. It was easy to tell that most of them were made of rubber and plastic. In the dark, though, everything would seem very different. Amanda hoped that it wouldn't be too scary for the children.

Up ahead, Amanda spotted Mrs. Kelly holding her usual clipboard. She was telling a man where to put the large box of plastic pumpkins that he had just brought her, calling for someone to clean up some dust that she'd found on the floor, and complaining to various people that they were making too much noise with a speed that an auctioneer would envy. Amanda was wondering if it would ever be possible for her to get a word in edgewise when Mrs. Kelly noticed her standing there.

"Oh, Mrs. King, I'm so glad that you're here! The food committee is just putting everything in the kitchen, although I don't want any cooking done during the carnival itself because of the food smells. Go and make sure that they remember to properly store all of the foods that need refrigeration."

"Okay, Mrs. Kelly, but first—"

"But not the baked goods. Baked goods never taste the same after refrigeration. When Jane gets back with those cookies, I want you to prepare trays to sell in the baked goods tent."

"That's fine, but I just wanted to tell you that—"

"We also have people bringing barbecues at five today, and if you could help them find a place to store them until the carnival opens—"

A man's voice interrupted, saying, "Dear, why don't you let Mrs. King finish what she's been trying to tell you?"

Amanda jumped slightly. A good-looking man in a dark suit had come up behind them. He had wavy brown hair, and there was a laughing look in his blue eyes.

"Oh, there you are, Charles," Mrs. Kelly said. "What do you think of the preparations for the haunted house?"

"Everything's coming along beautifully," he told her. To Amanda, he said, "I'm Charles Kelly. You'll have to pardon my wife. She gets very excited when she gets into a project."

Mrs. Kelly looked a little annoyed at her husband.

"I understand," Amanda said, earning an annoyed look for herself.

"Now, what was it you were trying to say?" Charles Kelly asked.

Amanda turned to Mrs. Kelly and asked, "Where would you like me to put the supplies I picked up this afternoon?"

"Are they food or decorations?" Mrs. Kelly asked, thumbing through the jumbled notes on her clipboard.

"Decorations," Amanda said.

"They go in the teacher's lounge," Mrs. Kelly said. "You know where that is, don't you?"

Amanda had to bite her tongue to keep from saying that her sons had attended school here since kindergarten and that she had been on the PTA all that time, so of course she knew where the teacher's lounge was. Amanda suspected that Mrs. Kelly knew all that anyway, since she had been her main rival for PTA president. Mrs. Kelly had taken an instant dislike to her once she had found that out, even though Amanda hadn't really wanted the job herself. Even though Mrs. Kelly had won, she was in the habit of sniping at Amanda and belittling her, just to make sure that she was in control.

Telling herself that none of that really mattered, Amanda merely assured Mrs. Kelly that she knew where she was going and that she would take care of it. She was about to ask Mrs. Kelly if she had a cart that she could borrow to carry the boxes when a workman dropped the box that he was carrying. As it hit the floor, it began emitting several high-pitched screams.

"The shriekers!" Mrs. Kelly cried. "I told you to be careful with those! Turn them off!"

"I'm trying, lady!" the workman said, rooting around in the box of little skull-shaped toys. "I can't tell which of them are doing the screaming!"

The little skulls began cycling through their repertoire of screams, shrieks, moans, and maniacal laughter. None of them were in sync with each other, so it sounded like a group of lost and tormented souls with no musical talent whatsoever had decided to form their own rock band. Actually, that kind of reminded Amanda of some of the student bands from her school days.

Mr. Kelly winced and covered his ears.

Several people dropped what they were doing and ran over to try to stop the unearthly racket. Amanda decided that it would be better to leave this to Mrs. Kelly and just take care of her supplies. Her boxes were heavy, but at least they didn't scream.

Making her escape from the haunted house, Amanda set about unloading the supplies from her station wagon. She really wished Lee could have come with her to help with some of the heavier boxes.

"Let me give you a hand with those," a voice behind her offered.

Amanda turned to find that Charles Kelly had followed her out of the cafeteria, er, "haunted house."

"It didn't look like there was much I could do to help back there, so I decided to see if you could use a hand," he explained.

"That's very nice of you," Amanda said. "I could use some help."

As they carried the boxes to the teacher's lounge, they chatted a bit about the carnival.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Mr. Kelly said. "Not only will it be a great opportunity to show off my company's products, but I'll be able to spend some time with my wife and kids. Seeing all these decorations and carnival games makes me feel like a kid myself."

Amanda smiled. Charles Kelly was a charming man, the complete opposite of his wife.


	6. Florica's Fortunes

**Chapter 6: Florica's Fortunes**

Morning sunlight lit up the office where the three men were meeting. The one behind the desk yawned. This was just a temporary office he had rented, not his normal one. Normally, it wasn't his practice to get up and go to work so early, but he didn't want anyone to witness this meeting. Or hear it, for that matter. The other two men certainly weren't attempting to be quiet as they paced the room and argued with each other.

"It's your fault! If you hadn't told that stupid girlfriend of yours what was up—"

"So how was I to know that she'd go crying to the authorities? The guy was just a pathetic old man selling veggies—"

"Not so pathetic, Tony! He's dangerous! And whoever he sent the message to is dangerous!"

"Both of you, shut up!" a much more commanding voice said. "Frank is right, Tony, but fortunately for you, we still have time to fix the situation. It seems that whatever message old Max sent wasn't received. If it was, the authorities would be banging down my door right now, and so far, no one has even said a word to me."

"Yeah, Boss, but how do we know that the authorities aren't just waiting until we make our move so that they can catch us red-handed?" Frank asked.

"I don't think that they would take that risk," the boss said, drumming his fingers lightly on the desk. "Not with so many prominent people in danger."

"But we saw him give her the keychain," Tony said.

"You're sure that there was a message in the keychain?" the boss asked.

"Pretty sure," Tony said.

"That sounds definite," the boss said sarcastically.

"Look, she handed him the envelope, so she must have been his contact, the one Frank heard him arranging to meet when he was using the phone at the catering company. When she gave Max that envelope, he handed her the keychain, the one he took from his pocket instead of from the basket where he kept all the others." Tony looked pleased with himself for noticing that little detail.

"There's got to be something special about it," Frank said in agreement. "It might have information about our plans. The point is, whatever was in there, she's got it."

"But she might not realize it," the boss said thoughtfully. "He might not have had time to explain it to her, or she might have even lost it . . ."

"Are you willing to take that risk?" Frank asked.

"No, we're definitely going to have to do something about her. You're sure that she's the one who gave him the envelope?" the boss said, taking another look at the photo on the desk.

"Positive," Tony said, handing his boss the other pictures he'd taken at the pumpkin patch. "Have a look for yourself."

"We tried to get Max to tell us who she is and how to find her, but the guy won't crack," Frank said.

"I even took the cash box from the pumpkin patch to see if she paid with a check or anything traceable," Tony added helpfully.

"Which was stupid because there was a sign by the register that said 'Cash Only,'" Frank said. "Can't you read?"

The two of them started to argue again, but the boss put a stop to it.

"Enough! It doesn't matter. I know who the woman is. I've seen her before," the boss said grimly. "Her name is Amanda King."

"How do you know her?" Frank asked.

"That doesn't matter. We just have to get the keychain back from her before she finds whatever's inside it."

"What if we can't?" Frank asked. "Or what if she's already found Max's message by the time we reach her?"

"Then, I want you to bring her to me," the boss said. "I'll take care of her."

"You don't want us to just get rid of her?" Tony asked.

"Not just yet," the boss answered. "We'll find out just how much she knows first and who she's told. We'll keep her with old Max until it's all over."

"I'll get the keychain from her," Tony said.

"Good," said the boss. He glanced again at the woman in the photographs. "I still have trouble believing that she could really be their courier, but it's just as well to be safe. I could get Mrs. King's address for you, but I have a better idea. I know exactly where she will be this afternoon, and she will be much more vulnerable there. But you'll need to wear your costume."

The boss gave Tony the information he needed, and Tony left to collect his costume and prepare for his mission.

"Are you sure we should wait until this afternoon to take care of the woman?" Frank asked.

"It would look less suspicious than trying to grab her from her house. With all the people around, hardly anyone will even notice Tony."

"The timing will be close. What if he's late coming back?"

"Then you'll have to do the job on your own. I know it's a nuisance, but from what I've seen, you'll be able to manage. You still have the plans?"

"I've got everything," Frank confirmed.

"Then you'd better get going," the boss said.

Frank left, but the boss remained at the desk. He pulled a small white card from his pocket and looked at it thoughtfully. It read:

**Florica's Fortunes**

**Quote:** "The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success." – Irving Berlin

**Your Situation:** It looks like all of your hard work is about to pay off. The world is your oyster, and the pearl is yours for the taking.

**Prediction:** Although everything seems to be going your way, this is not the time to slack off. Last-minute complications are likely to arise that could endanger everything you've worked for.

**Advice:** Expect the unexpected.

The boss snorted at the card. It was the same kind of meaningless drivel that appeared in fortune cookies. He'd wasn't worried. He'd taken care of everything.

True, Mrs. King's appearance on the scene was unexpected, but he'd take care of her, too. At least, Tony would. And if Tony even thought about slacking off on the job, he'd make him pay. The boss casually tossed the little card in the wastebasket before he left the room.


	7. Crazy Tony

**Chapter 7: Crazy Tony**

The offices of Top Notch Catering were designed to impress its clients. They were decorated in pastel colors and furnished with comfortable, plush couches and chairs. The pictures on the walls were of lavish meals and fancy cakes, which made Lee hungry. Fortunately, Olivia Durbin offered him a few samples of some freshly-made cookies as they sat down for their talk.

Olivia was in her mid- to late-twenties, much younger than Lee had expected at first, given that she was Max's friend. Lee hadn't learned much during his surveillance of the company the night before, but by chatting casually with a couple of the staff who were on a smoking break, he had found out that Olivia's aunt owned the company and that Olivia was partly responsible for buying supplies. Her aunt was the one who had introduced Olivia to Max, recommending him as a supplier of fresh vegetables.

"He's always been really nice to me," Olivia said when Lee introduced himself as a friend of Max and explained that Max was missing and that his family was concerned about him. "I hope he's alright. Whenever he comes by, he stays awhile to talk. That's why I confided my . . . my problem to him. Are you the friend that he said he was going to talk to about that?"

Lee wasn't quite sure what she was talking about, but he decided to play along for now.

"That's right," Lee said. "But I'd like to hear the story from you."

"Well, like I told Max, I went on a date with this guy named Tony. He'd done some handyman work for my aunt, and he seemed nice enough at first . . . Well, okay, I admit what really decided me was that he had tickets to a concert that I wanted to see."

Lee tried to keep from grinning.

"Tony turned out to be kind of weird, and I didn't plan to go out with him ever again," Olivia continued, "but he still kept hanging around, bragging about how he was going to be a big man someday and flashing his money around."

"If he worked as a handyman, where did he get all that money?" Lee asked.

"He said that he had this electrician friend who got him other jobs. I kept trying to ignore Tony, hoping that he'd go away. Still, he kept showing up. I was trying to be polite about it, but recently, I told him that I was busy with my work and didn't want to see him anymore."

"What did he do then?"

"He said that he had some important work to do, too. This friend of his was going to get him another job, and he said it was the biggest one they'd had yet. He said that when it was over, they'd have a ton of money."

"Did he tell you what the job was?"

"Well . . . yes, but it's crazy. I think that's just what Tony is, a crazy person."

"What did he say that was so crazy?"

Olivia shifted uncomfortably in her seat and said, "He said that he was hired to kill the president."

"The President?" Lee asked, with raised eyebrows. Maybe Olivia was right, and Tony was crazy.

Olivia shrugged. "That's what he said. I thought he was just crazy. He was always saying weird stuff. I didn't take it seriously. I just hoped he'd go away. But when I told Max about it, he was really interested."

"What made you decide to tell Max about Tony?" Lee wondered whether or not Max had told Olivia anything about his work with the Agency.

"Well, as I said, Max is a good person to talk to, and we talk often when he visits. Tony tried to see me one day when Max was here, and I had one of the others tell Tony that I was too busy to talk to him. I explained the situation to Max, and he asked me to tell him all about Tony."

"What did he think about Tony?"

"He told me that he had some friends who would be interested in hearing about Tony and would look into it. I guess that you would be one of them?"

"Yeah, that's right," Lee said. "I would be very interested to hear more about Tony."

"Why?" Olivia asked suddenly.

"Why what?"

"Why are you interested in hearing about a crazy guy like Tony?"

Lee thought quickly. "Well, people like Tony can be dangerous if they're unsupervised. I'm part of an organization that deals with people like him."

"You deal with crazy people?"

"Quite a lot, actually," Lee said with a sigh.

"If you can get Crazy Tony to leave me alone, I'd be grateful."

"I'll see what I can do," Lee said. "Is there anything else that you can tell me about Tony?"

"Not really. I guess his address and phone number would be in the personnel records, but I really don't know much about the guy."

"If you could get me his address and phone number, that would be great. Did he say anything about when and where he was going to kill the President?"

"All he told me was that I shouldn't accept any catering jobs for Halloween parties because that's where it would happen. But I already told that to Max. The last time I saw him, he said that he'd figured out which party Tony was talking about. He said that he had passed along a message to you about it."

"A message? I didn't get it," Lee said. He was starting to feel uneasy. That keychain of Amanda's . . . "When did he tell you this?"

"It was a couple of days ago," Olivia said. "Then Tony showed up, and Max wanted to get out of there in a hurry."

"Did Tony overhear your conversation with Max?" Lee asked.

"I'm not sure," Olivia said. "I sometimes feel like Tony's spying on me, but I don't know if he really notices or cares about Max."

The conversation must have taken place shortly after Max gave the keychain to Amanda, Lee thought. Then, Max had disappeared shortly after talking to Olivia. The question foremost on his mind was whether or not Tony knew who Max had given the message to.

"I have to go soon," Lee said to Olivia, "but I'll be in touch. If you see Tony again, give me a call at this number." He scribbled his number on a sheet of Top Notch Catering stationery and gave it to Olivia.

"Thanks," Olivia said. "Let me get Tony's information for you."

A quick talk with Olivia's aunt provided Lee with Tony's contact information.

"I hope you find Max soon," Olivia said. "And, like I said, if you can get Tony to stop bothering me, I'd really appreciate it."

Lee said, "Could I borrow your phone for a moment? There's someone I'd like to call."

"As long as it's a local call, it's no problem," Olivia said.

Olivia returned to work while Lee placed a quick call to Billy, telling him about Crazy Tony and his apparent role in a plot to kill the President.

"That is crazy," Billy said. "The President is out of the country. He's attending a conference in London as we speak, and he isn't due back in the country until after Halloween. He certainly won't be attending any Halloween parties."

"I don't know what to think of it, either," Lee said. "This Tony might be a nutcase, but Max seemed to take him seriously. I'm going to find Amanda. I want to take another look at that keychain of hers. From what Olivia told me, it might be important after all."

"Alright. I'll have someone follow up on Tony's address and see if they can track him down for questioning. I'll also have someone see if they can learn anything about Halloween parties that might involve prominent people in the DC area and see if they can turn up anything significant."

After Lee got off the phone with Billy, he tried to call Amanda. He wasn't sure what time she would be going to that carnival thing at the school, but she ought to be warned about her keychain. He couldn't shake the feeling that they'd missed something. If he could just get hold of Amanda and arrange to meet her . . .

The phone rang several times, but no one answered. Lee hung up and hurried out to his car. He hoped that nothing was wrong, but he had a bad feeling that something was. Was Amanda at home and just too busy to catch the phone or had she already gone to the carnival? He'd check both places.

As he drove toward Amanda's neighborhood, he ground his teeth and wondered what had possessed him to give that stupid keychain back to her. True, no one had found anything unusual about it, but there must be something that they'd missed. If anything happened to Amanda because of this . . . Lee shoved the thought out of his mind and concentrated on getting to her as quickly as possible.


	8. Dangerous Shoes

**Chapter 8: Dangerous Shoes**

When Amanda put on her fortune-teller costume that afternoon, she was pleased with the full skirts that swirled as she turned around in front of the mirror. The scarves were a colorful addition that made her look more exotic, and the gold hoop earrings were a nice touch. It was only the shoes that her mother had bought to go with the outfit that gave her pause.

Amanda hadn't given any thought to wearing special shoes with the costume, but her mother had surprised her at the last minute with a pair of spiky-heeled shoes in an unusual shade of purple. It was a thoughtful gift, but the heels were unusually high. Amanda wobbled unsteadily as she took her first steps in them.

"How is the costume, dear?" Dotty asked as Amanda came downstairs.

"It's beautiful, Mother, but I think these shoes were a mistake," Amanda said as she teetered on the stairs, hanging onto the banister for dear life. She knew that she was going to have to be careful not to turn an ankle in these things.

"Nonsense! They look beautiful, Amanda."

"But I feel like I'm about to break my neck. How do you walk in these things?"

"It just takes practice. I once practiced for two hours in shoes just like those because I was going to a dance with your father, and they were the only shoes that I could find in his favorite color . . ."

"Did you get the phone earlier?" Amanda interrupted. "I thought I heard it ringing."

"I missed the call. I was trying to stop the Great Pumpkin War going on in the kitchen. Do you know those boys are still fighting over those pumpkins we bought the other day?"

Amanda could hear the argument going on in the next room. "Calm down, boys!" she called to them. "If you can't carve your pumpkins without fighting, you won't get to carve them at all!"

The argument didn't stop, but the boys lowered their voices to stage whispers.

"Don't worry about them," Dotty said. "I'll make sure it doesn't escalate to bloodshed."

"I was afraid that Mrs. Kelly might be calling. She's supposed to pick me up soon."

Mrs. Kelly had called Amanda earlier that afternoon and insisted on giving her a ride to the school so that she would "be on time." Amanda hadn't wanted to accept, but Mrs. Kelly had hung up before she could tell her that the ride wasn't necessary.

"Maybe I should change shoes before she gets here," Amanda said.

"But those shoes are so perfect for that outfit," Dotty said. "I saw a movie with a gypsy woman in it who wore shoes just like that, and she did this dance . . . oh, your ride is here!"

Sighing, Amanda reluctantly grabbed her purse and hurried out to the car. At least, she hurried as fast as her wobbly shoes would let her.

Amanda pulled the front passenger door open and saw Mrs. Kelly giving her lipstick a last-minute check in the vanity mirror. She wasn't wearing her costume yet, which wasn't surprising because it included a hoop skirt that would have made it impossible for her to drive. Amanda could see the dry cleaning bag on the backseat. Although the bag covered the dress almost completely, Amanda knew what it was because Mrs. Kelly had bragged about it repeatedly to anyone who would listen.

Mrs. Kelly glanced at Amanda as she took her seat.

"That's a very nice costume, Amanda," she said.

"Thank you," Amanda said, surprised by the compliment.

"Looking at you, I have no difficulty believing that you tell fortunes out of a tent for a living," Mrs. Kelly continued.

Amanda gritted her teeth.

"Where are your children, Mrs. Kelly? I thought that Jason and Sandra would be with you."

"They're coming to the carnival later with friends. Now, I want you to take these," Mrs. Kelly said, handing Amanda a paper bag decorated with little stars and moons. "There are Groucho Marx glasses in here to hand out to anyone who visits your tent without a costume. There are also a dozen shriekers. I want you to give these out to the first twelve children who come to your tent. Hopefully, their friends will see them and want some, too. In fact, you should keep a couple of them on the table next to your crystal ball. This pink one is for you to keep. You can turn it on sometimes to attract attention and get people interested in getting shriekers of their own."

"Oh, yeah, that will get attention alright," Amanda thought. "But people will be a hurry to leave the area, not buy more of these. I just hope the kids' parents won't hate us for giving them these things."

Amanda accepted the paper bag from Mrs. Kelly with a small smile. She studied the bright pink skull that Mrs. Kelly gave her to keep and tried to decide whether the color made it look less scary or more scary.

Mrs. Kelly spent the drive to the school carrying on a one-sided conversation about her husband and their important friends.

"It's such a nuisance having the carnival this weekend," she said. "Of course, I know that the carnival is traditionally held the weekend before Halloween. Having it on a weekday would still be an inconvenience, but if it hadn't been this weekend, my husband and I could have gone to Senator Parker's party. My husband and Mr. Goreman, the president of his company, are both very good friends of Senator Parker. The Parkers were devastated when they found out that we couldn't attend."

"I'll bet they were," Amanda thought, although she didn't actually say it. More likely, the senator was really friends with the president of Goreman Electronics and the Kellys were only invited as a favor to him.

"It reminds me of the time when Senator Carstairs and his family . . . Well, you've heard of the Carstairs family, haven't you? Well, anyway, Senator Carstairs . . ."

Amanda stopped paying attention and let her mind wander. She wondered what Lee was doing now. Probably something a lot more interesting than listening to Mrs. Kelly boast.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Amanda's station wagon was still in the driveway, so Lee was hopeful as he circled around behind the house. He carefully positioned himself under the kitchen window and listened to the conversation taking place inside. Dotty and the boys were in the kitchen, and they were talking loudly about something.

"That's my pumpkin!"

"No, it's not!"

"It's the one I picked out!"

"No, I picked this one!"

"Boys!" Dotty said firmly. "Calm down! Those pumpkins look the same to me."

"No, they're not," one of the boys protested. "That one is—"

"They're both very nice, and they'll make fine jack-o-lanterns. Now, hurry up and carve them. Remember, we've got to get everything cleaned up in time to meet your mother down at the carnival."

The carnival! Lee groaned inwardly, scuttling out of Amanda's garden and back to his car. Amanda must have already left to help set up. She'd probably gotten a ride from one of the other PTA ladies. One of these days, he'd have to seriously consider putting a tracking device on her.


	9. Amanda the Fortune-Teller

**Chapter 9: Amanda the Fortune-Teller**

"I see a tall, handsome man in your future," Amanda intoned. "I see foreign travel . . . well, that's fine for the adults. For the kids . . . I see candy, lots of candy . . ."

Amanda sat in Madame Florica's tent, thinking up things that she could say to people when they came to have their fortunes told. She had plenty of time to rehearse because the carnival wouldn't officially open for about another hour, and she planned to hide in her tent the entire time so that Mrs. Kelly wouldn't be tempted to assign her any last-minute chores.

Amanda was thankful that she had forgotten all about the homemade bean-bag toss game, although now she was criticizing everyone's costumes and suggesting dozens of last-minute changes to make them all look more "professional" to impress her husband's associates.

To Amanda's surprise, Mrs. Kelly really did seem to approve of Amanda's costume.

"You really do look a lot like the original Madame Florica," Mrs. Kelly said.

"The original?" Amanda asked.

"I took the name Florica from one of the automatons that my husband's company makes. She's a gypsy, sort of a more elaborate version of the characters in fortune-telling machines, the kind you see sometimes in amusement parks or arcades. It's one of the new products this year."

"Oh, I see."

"It's only too bad that I couldn't get one for our carnival. Oh, well. You'll do well enough. Besides, a live fortune-teller can hand out shriekers. A machine can't."

"How true," Amanda said dryly.

Mrs. Kelly also complimented Amanda on her new shoes. She seemed to think that they suited her costume perfectly. Or maybe she was just happy to see Amanda in pain and about to break her neck. Either was equally likely.

When Amanda last saw Mrs. Kelly, she was putting the finishing touches on her costume in the girls' bathroom next to the cafeter— er, "haunted house." Probably half the reason she had wanted Amanda to ride to the carnival with her was so that she could help carry it. With the hoop and all the crinolines, it was ridiculously heavy.

It was a commercially-made costume, of course, and looked like it had been made for a fancy Mardi Gras party in New Orleans instead of Halloween in Arlington. She was, ironically, the Queen of Hearts. Her full-skirted gown was black with red hearts. Her mask was gold and black, and she wore a golden tiara with a heart-shaped ruby surrounded by diamonds (probably imitation, but real would have been more to Mrs. Kelly's taste). She also carried a golden scepter.

The costume was supposed to look elegant, but various other PTA ladies kept murmuring, "Off with their heads!" Then, they would nudge each other and laugh.

Yes, Amanda thought, she was much better off staying out of the way until everyone arrived for the carnival. Besides, if she stayed in the tent, she wouldn't have to walk around on her wobbly shoes. Most of the carnival's midway, including Amanda's tent, was on the school's grassy field. The ground was a bit uneven there, making walking even more difficult for Amanda. She resolved to give the shoes away to the nearest thrift store as soon as possible.

The fishbowl that Amanda had bought on sale at a nearby pet shop was upside down on the table in front of her. She had put a small, battery-operated light underneath the bowl along with a tangle of metallic ribbons so that the globe would glow and be filled with sparkling colors. It was a nice touch, even if she did say so herself. She couldn't wait to see what her customers would think of it.

Amanda had also, reluctantly, placed a couple of shriekers on the table, one on either side of the crystal ball. It wasn't that she really wanted to aid and abet Mrs. Kelly's campaign to promote the shriekers, but she knew that Mrs. Kelly would probably check later to see if she was displaying them.

Whether or not she would actually hand any out to the children was debatable. Maybe she would only offer them to children whose parents were present at the time. If the parents refused to allow their children to accept the shriekers, it would hardly be Amanda's fault. As for the pink shrieker that Mrs. Kelly wanted Amanda to use to attract attention, Amanda had put it out of sight in her purse, and as far as she was concerned, it could stay there for the rest of the evening.

Actually, Amanda had to admit that the two bright blue skulls that she'd chosen didn't look bad next to the crystal ball. The skull shape made them look mysterious enough to fit with the crystal ball, and the bright blue color made them look fakey enough not to be too scary for the kids.

Amanda was adjusting the scarf on her head when her first customer came in. He was wearing a black cape with a hood over a nice shirt and waist coat. Amanda wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to be. If he'd had a top hat, he might have been a magician, or if he'd had fangs, he could have been a vampire. Since he didn't have either, it was hard to tell what he was, which was probably why he was carrying one of the pairs of Groucho Marx glasses that members of the PTA were handing out on Mrs. Kelly's orders. Not wearing them, just carrying them. Amanda grinned, thinking of what Lee had said about people refusing to wear those silly things.

"Hello, Madame Florica," the man said, sitting down across the table from Amanda. His appearance was a surprise to Amanda, who hadn't expected anyone to show up for some time yet. Still, Amanda launched right into her act.

"Greetings, sir," she said in a spooky voice. "Would you like your fortune told?"

"No," he said. "I'm going to tell you yours. If you don't hand over your purse, Mrs. King, I'm going to shoot you." He drew a gun from under this cape and aimed it at her chest.

Amanda was stunned. A hold-up at the Halloween carnival? And how did he know her name?

"Come on, let's see your purse!" he demanded.

Amanda reached under her chair and picked up her purse, setting it on the table.

"Now open it," the man said, "and dump everything out."

He swept his free hand across the table, knocking the fishbowl and the two shriekers to the ground. For a moment, Amanda hoped that they would go off and attract attention, but they didn't. She had no choice but to do as she was told. She opened her purse and spread the contents across the top of the table.

Amanda had expected the man to go for her wallet, but he ignored it completely. Instead, he plucked the pumpkin keychain from amid the odds and ends from Amanda's purse. At first, he looked triumphant. Then, he looked confused.

"What is this?" he demanded.

"It's a keychain," Amanda said softly, her eyes still on the gun. She wished someone else would enter the tent, but the carnival still wasn't officially open.

"It's the wrong one!" the man snapped at her. "Where's the other one?"

"What other one?" Amanda asked.

"You know, the one with the triangle eyes!"

Triangle eyes? The man was right. This pumpkin's eyes were round, not triangular. Something clicked in Amanda's memory, but she didn't say a word. She tried not to even move a muscle in her face.

"Put everything back in the purse," the man told her. "We're bringing it with us."

Amanda put everything back, glancing at the tent's entrance, hoping somehow to attract someone's attention.

"Now, you and I are going to take a little walk," the man said. "We're going to go somewhere where we can talk about this, and we'll see if we can jog your memory. Now move!"

Amanda stood up, but as she did so, the heel of one shoe caught in a softer patch of ground. Amanda fell hard against the table. The man grabbed hold of her arm roughly and shoved his gun against her ribs. She stumbled backward, knocking over her chair.

"No tricks!" he hissed in her ear.

"It's not a trick," Amanda said angrily. "My shoe is caught!"

"Then, leave it and come on!"

The man pushed Amanda out of the tent. Together, they walked slowly down the midway with Amanda limping along in only one shoe.


	10. Heroics in the Haunted Cafeteria

**Chapter 10: Heroics in the Haunted Cafeteria**

Lee searched frantically through the carnival grounds, dodging at least three people who attempted to hand him Groucho Marx glasses. There were parents and teachers everywhere, and a few children whose parents couldn't leave them at home while they were working at the carnival. Most of them were wearing costumes.

"Wasn't Amanda wearing a costume?" Lee thought. "That's right, she said that she'd be dressed like a gypsy because she'd gotten roped into helping with the fortune-telling booth." All he had to do was find the fortune-telling booth.

With a sigh of relief, he saw a red-and-white striped tent with a sign outside that said "Madame Florica, Fortune-Teller." He remembered that was the name of the character that Amanda was playing.

"Amanda?" he called, poking his head into the tent.

No one was there. But, someone had been there. One of the chairs had been knocked over, and the fishbowl that was serving as a crystal ball had fallen off the table and was lying on the ground. Underneath the table was a woman's shoe with a spiky heel. Just one shoe. Lee's blood ran cold. Tony had gotten to Amanda first.

Lee darted out of the tent, looking around wildly. Where would he take her? Maybe they hadn't gotten far, especially if Amanda was missing a shoe.

Wait! There they were! It had to be them!

Now that he knew what he was looking for, they were easy to spot, although at first glance they appeared to be merely another costumed couple strolling down the midway. The woman was dressed as a gypsy with long skirts and a colorful scarf covering her hair. The man was wearing a black cape with a hood over his head. The two of them were walking close together, but their attempt at a casual pace was spoiled by the fact that the woman was limping because she was wearing only one spiky-heeled shoe.

Lee started after them, being careful not to catch up to them too quickly. The man was holding Amanda close, trying to make it seem like he was escorting his wife or girlfriend, but Lee was sure that he had a weapon trained on her.

They were approaching the end of the midway, near the school cafeteria, and Lee was still a good distance behind them, when Amanda suddenly stumbled. Her captor turned to catch her, and as he did, he caught sight of Lee following them. Lee swore under his breath as the man grabbed Amanda and dragged her into the cafeteria.

The signs on the cafeteria doors reading "Door to Danger" and "Enter If You Dare" reminded Lee of what Amanda had told him earlier about the haunted house.

"Oh, great," he groaned inwardly. "Playing cat and mouse in a place already rigged with nasty surprises." He glanced around to make sure that no one was nearby and watching, then drew his gun and went inside.

The haunted house was dimly-lit. Black curtains had been hung to form hallways through the cafeteria. Eerie eyes, ghostly forms, and jagged bolts of lightning had been painted on the black fabric with fluorescent paint. They glowed under black lights. There was no sign of Amanda or the caped man.

"This is no good," thought Lee. "The walls aren't even solid. He could jump out at me or shoot me from anywhere, and I'd never see him coming." Not knowing where the scary surprises were hidden in the haunted house made it worse.

As an experiment, Lee picked up a plastic pumpkin sitting near the door and flung it down the hallway. As it clattered to the floor, a skeleton dropped down on a wire with a high-pitched shrieking sound. Then, the wire slowly pulled the skeleton back up out of sight. Lee followed the motion with his eyes and spotted scaffolding overhead.

"Of course," he thought. "That's where the controls for the haunted house must be."

Even the electric eye devices had to have on/off switches somewhere. The best place would be somewhere high, where the operator could see everything and trigger the surprises at just the right time. Lee ducked behind the curtains, searching for the ladder up. Finding it, he climbed up onto the scaffold and looked around.

"Now this is more like it," he thought, spotting movement further along the maze of black hallways. Carefully, trying not to make any noise, he made his way along the scaffold toward Amanda and her captor.

The man had found a section of the curtained hall that was slightly wider than the normal path. With his hand over Amanda's mouth to silence her, he now waited in a dark corner almost directly beneath where Lee was standing. His gun was pointed down the hallway in the direction he had just come from, so he was obviously planning to ambush Lee when he came along.

Lee knew that he was going to have to do something fast before the man figured out where he really was. It would be too dangerous to shoot him. Lee didn't want to risk accidentally hitting Amanda.

He glanced down at the control panel in front him, thinking that there might be something that he could use as a distraction. One of the levers on the panel was labeled "Tilting Floor." Now Lee could see why that section of the hallway was wider than the rest. They had to widen it to hold the platform for their tilting floor effect.

The lever for the tilting floor was at the point marked "center," and Amanda and her captor were standing on the right-hand side of the platform. Checking to make sure that the man's gun was still aimed away from Amanda, Lee quickly shoved the lever all the way to the end of the "left" markings.

The floor tilted swiftly, throwing them both off-balance. Amanda, in her single unsteady shoe, was the first to go down, pulling the man with her. He dropped his gun as he fell, and it went sliding off the edge of the platform, somewhere behind one of the curtains. Amanda tried to struggle out of the man's grasp, and he pulled the scarf off of her hair as he tried to grab hold of her again.

Lee jumped off of the scaffold and onto the tilted platform, landing behind the man. As Amanda's captor whirled around to face him, Lee managed to get in a good punch to his jaw, knocking him out cold.

"Lee!" Amanda called out from the floor, where she had fallen in a tangle of skirts and scarves.

"Are you alright?" he asked, helping her up.

"I think I twisted my ankle, but I'll be fine," Amanda said.

"Sorry about that, but tilting the floor was the best distraction I could come up with," Lee explained as he retrieved the man's gun from behind the curtain.

"It's not your fault," Amanda said, removing her remaining shoe. "I should never have let Mother talk me into wearing these things. Lee, that man wanted the pumpkin keychain, the one I showed you earlier. Only, when he got it out of my purse, he said it was the wrong one."

"What does that mean? Was it the keychain that you showed us earlier at the Agency?"

"Yes, but I didn't look at it closely enough when I gave it to you. The man was right, it wasn't the same keychain that Max gave me at the pumpkin patch. This one has round eyes, and the one that Max gave me had eyes shaped like triangles. The mouths were identical, with those little vampire-like teeth, but the eyes were different shapes."

"Then where is the one that Max gave you, and where did this other one come from?"

"I think I know," Amanda said with a sigh. "We have to get back to my house. I'll explain on the way."

"I have a lot to fill you in on, too. First, I'll call Billy and have him send someone to take care of this guy," Lee said, gesturing to the man on the floor. "Can you walk alright with that ankle?"

"I think I can if you let me lean on you," Amanda said.

"No problem," Lee said, putting his arm around Amanda. "I've got you."


	11. The Choicest Pumpkin

**Chapter 11: The Choicest Pumpkin**

"Amanda? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the carnival?" Dotty asked when Amanda suddenly arrived at the house and limped into the kitchen. The boys were seated at the kitchen table, carving their pumpkins, still arguing over which pumpkin was the best.

"I still say that one is the best one," Phillip grumbled.

"Yours is bigger," Jamie insisted.

"No, yours is," Phillip said.

"If you feel that way about it, why don't you switch pumpkins with each other?" Amanda suggested.

"We tried that about half an hour ago," Dotty said, rolling her eyes. "Peace lasted for about fifteen minutes before they started up again. I don't have any idea how they can tell the difference between them. This whole argument is just silly! Those pumpkins look alike to me."

"Jamie's pumpkin is rounder than mine," Phillip insisted.

"And the stem on Phillip's is curved more," Jamie pointed out.

"They don't look that different to me, either," Amanda said. "Now that you boys have started to carve those, you'll have to finish them. I'm sure they'll both turn out great."

Amanda had the feeling that they had both switched their positions on which pumpkin was their favorite, maybe even several times, since they'd picked them out at the pumpkin patch. She couldn't be sure, though. The pumpkins looked nearly identical to her. Speaking of which . . .

"A friend brought me home, Mother. I need to change shoes. I turned my ankle in these." Amanda held up her remaining shoe.

"What happened to the other shoe?" Dotty asked.

"I, um, had to leave it back at the carnival," Amanda said. "The heel's broken." It wasn't really true, but it might be true later when she got hold of that stupid shoe again.

"You poor dear! I guess you're right. You really didn't have enough time to practice in those shoes before you had to wear them tonight. But don't worry, I'll get you some ice, and we'll wrap that ankle for you, and you'll be as good as new."

"Thank you, Mother."

"Where is your friend?"

"What?"

"The friend who brought you home. Didn't she come in with you?"

"Oh, no . . . well, she really couldn't, but, um, she'll be back in a minute to pick me up again."

"Oh, well, alright then. Let's see about that ankle."

While Dotty helped Amanda to wrap her ankle, Amanda brought up the subject of the pumpkin keychains.

"You know, Mother," she said, "do you remember those keychains that they were giving out at the pumpkin patch?"

"Well, of course, dear," Dotty said, although Amanda thought that she looked slightly guilty.

"It's funny," Amanda said, "but I could have sworn that the one they gave me had triangle eyes. When I found it in my purse this afternoon, though, its eyes were round."

Dotty glanced at her, and Amanda definitely caught the guilty look in her eyes.

"Well, yes," she admitted. "When we got home from the pumpkin patch, I was looking for some cough drops. I couldn't find any in the cabinet, and you were on the phone with someone, so I checked in your purse. I found the cough drops, but I also saw the keychain they gave you. It's silly, I know, but I just thought that the one with the triangle eyes was cuter than the one with the round ones, so I decided to trade with you. I didn't think that you'd mind."

"Oh, it's not that," Amanda said. "I was just confused, that's all. Where did you put the other keychain?"

"I've got it here in my pocket," Dotty said, taking it out and handing it to her. Sure enough, it was the one that Amanda remembered getting from Max.

"Would it be alright if I borrowed this?" Amanda asked. "I just want to, um, show it to my friend. I was telling him—I mean her, about the keychains, and I want to show her the difference between the two of them."

"Well, of course," Dotty said. "I'm sorry, I really should have talked to you before taking your keychain."

"That's alright, Mother," Amanda said. "I'm just glad that you told me now." Dotty would never realize just how glad.

A few minutes later, Amanda joined Lee where he had parked across the street. She was now wearing sensible black flats and limping only slightly.

"Did you get it?" he asked.

"I got it!" Amanda said, handing over the keychain.

"Let's have a look at it."

Using his Swiss army knife, Lee carefully pried apart the two halves of the pumpkin. Inside was a folded piece of paper with an address written on it, today's date, and a time, 6:00 pm.

"I know this address," Lee said. "That's Senator Parker's mansion. When I was on the phone with Billy, arranging for someone to come pick up Tony, he mentioned it as one of the possibilities for the Halloween party where the assassination would take place. But I don't understand why Tony told his girlfriend that he was going to kill the President. The President is definitely not going to be at Senator Parker's Halloween party."

Amanda frowned and said, "Lee, did he say that he was going to kill the U.S. President or just a president?"

Seeing what Amanda was getting at, Lee said, "According to Olivia, he just said 'the president,' but you're right, he didn't specify the president of which county. I don't know of any other presidents currently visiting the United States—"

"No, I don't think it's the president of a county, Lee," Amanda said. "I think it's a company president. Mrs. Kelly was bragging earlier that the president of her husband's company was friends with Senator Parker. She said that she and Mr. Kelly would probably have gone to the senator's party tonight if they hadn't had the school carnival on the same night."

"We'd better get over there right away."

"But you got the assassin back at the carnival, didn't you?"

"We can't take the chance. I think there may be more than one assassin. Olivia mentioned that Tony had a friend he was always hanging around with, and he told her that this friend got him the assassination job. As long as this friend is still on the loose, there's danger."

Amanda checked her watch. "It's only a little before six right now."

"We don't have much time," Lee said. "We'd better call Billy again. We're going to need backup."


	12. The Senator's Party

**Chapter 12: The Senator's Party**

By the time Lee and Amanda arrived at Senator Parker's mansion, the security personnel had been notified of the situation. The head of security, Randal Phelps, insisted that they had been extremely careful when admitting people to the mansion and that there were no uninvited guests. Even so, there was always the chance that the assassin had legitimately entered with the catering staff or even with the invited guests.

"Tell your people not to let anyone in or out of the house until further notice," Lee said to Phelps. "More Agency personnel are on the way, and we'll want to begin a thorough search of the house as soon as possible."

"I understand," Phelps said.

"Amanda, while we're planning our search strategy, I'd like you to interview the catering personnel in the kitchen," Lee said. "Get all of their names and find out whether anyone has joined the company recently. The newest employees will be the most likely suspects."

"Right," Amanda said. "Then, what should I do?"

"Wait there in the kitchen and make sure none of the caterers try to leave," Lee said. "I'll join you as soon as we've completed the sweep of the house."

As Amanda headed off to the kitchen, Lee sighed. At least that task would keep her busy while he began his surveillance of the house. Lee didn't really expect their man to be on the catering staff, so Amanda would be able to stay off that ankle and out of trouble for awhile.

There was a lingering doubt there. Amanda had a habit of finding trouble no matter where she was. Lee made a mental note to check on her later. Meanwhile, they had to warn Mr. Goreman of the potential danger.

Phelps led Lee into the ballroom of the senator's mansion and over to where Senator Eric Parker and Walter Goreman were chatting amiably by the buffet table. When Lee showed them his credentials, the senator and Mr. Goreman agreed to speak with them privately in the senator's study.

By the time Lee had finished explaining everything, Billy and Francine had arrived with several other agents.

"How should we proceed?" Senator Parker asked the group assembled in his study. "Should we cancel the party and begin clearing the house?"

Mr. Goreman was understandably nervous, but he was listening attentively to the conversation.

"No," Billy said. "I don't think that would be a good idea. If we make any kind of announcement to the party, the assassin we're looking for would know that we're on to him, and we can't be certain how he'll react. He may try to slip away quietly, or he may become violent and try to shoot his way out."

Lee nodded in agreement. "It's better if we catch him before he has a chance to make a move."

"But how?" Phelps asked. "You've admitted that you don't know what this man looks like."

"We're setting up search teams to sweep the house," Billy said. To Phelps, he added, "Try to keep all of the party guests in the ballroom and have your people work in pairs. Everyone's movements should be accounted for."

Phelps nodded.

"We're looking for someone out of place, someone who doesn't belong here," Billy explained.

"I still think we ought to at least get Walt out of here," Senator Parker said. "It's just too dangerous for him to stay."

"If we try to move him now, before we know who or where the assassin is, we might give the assassin an opportunity to strike," Billy said. "For now, the study is secure, and I think Mr. Goreman should remain here under guard."

Senator Parker looked at his friend. Mr. Goreman hesitated a moment and then nodded his agreement.

"Speaking of opportunities," Lee said, "what were the plans for this evening's party? It would be difficult for an assassin to go after one man in a crowded ballroom. Was there anything else planned for this evening that would present a better opportunity for an assassin to strike?"

Mr. Goreman spoke up. "There are a couple of things we were planning. My company has recently come out with some new products, and Eric was kind enough to allow me the chance to show them off at his party."

"What do you mean?" Billy asked.

"He gave us some space to set up a haunted house for his party guests to go through."

"Oh, no," Lee thought. "Not another one!"

"He was also going to let me make a short speech before leading the guests through the haunted house, at eight o'clock."

Lee glanced at his watch. It was just a little before seven. The note in the pumpkin keychain had said 6:00 pm, but that was the start time of the party. The assassination could be scheduled for later in the evening, giving the assassin time to prepare.

"You were going to be the first person to enter the haunted house?" Billy asked Mr. Goreman.

"That's right," Mr. Goreman said.

"And the speech was going to be in the ballroom?"

"Yes."

"Alright," Billy said. "Those are the areas where we will focus our search. While all the guests are kept in the ballroom, I'll have some of my people do a general search of the house, but one team will perform a special search of the haunted house. If we don't find anything anywhere else, we'll turn our attention to the people in the ballroom."

"Personally, I think the haunted house would be the most likely place for our assassin to hide," Lee said. After his experiences in the haunted house at the school, he knew that a darkened place where people were already expecting scary surprises would be a good place for an attack.

"Phelps can show you where the haunted house is," the senator said. "He's already seen it."

"Good," Billy said. "Lee, Francine, you're both with me and Phelps. Fielder and Clark can stay to guard the study."

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Back in the kitchen, Amanda watched the catering crew bustling around, preparing trays of snacks to take to the guests. She suspected that Lee had given her this job because it was the easiest and least dangerous assignment he could think of.

There was a kind of irony in being told to stay in the kitchen, but rather than arguing or being insulted, Amanda decided to use the opportunity to get more ice for her ankle. It was still bothering her, and if she could do her job while sitting at the kitchen table, it was just as well.

It didn't take too long to document the caterers since the head of the team already had a roster. Amanda simply copied his list and penciled in the amount of time each employee had worked for the company as she interviewed the team's supervisors. None of the team members had worked for the company for less than a year.

The catering staff had been very nice, fixing up a makeshift ice pack for her using a plastic bag and offering her little snacks. Fortified with samples of spicy meatballs and tiny shrimp but left with nothing else to do in the kitchen, Amanda had the urge to report her findings to Lee and see how he was progressing.

Of course, she knew that she really shouldn't. After all, Lee had asked her to wait for him in the kitchen. There was also her ankle to consider. It felt a little better since she had iced it, but it still wasn't feeling right. The ice bag was starting to sweat, and Amanda had decided that she had used it enough, so she walked over to the sink to set it down for awhile.

While she was standing by the sink, some movement outside the door caught her eye. A man dressed in coveralls and carrying a toolbox was wandering down the hallway. He kept glancing around as though he were lost or maybe looking for something.

"Now why would there be a handyman wandering around during a fancy dress party?" Amanda wondered.

A workman would just be a distraction for the guests. It was possible that something important needed to be fixed right away, but in that case, it wasn't likely that the repairman would be wandering around the house alone. Unless this man was just a guest in a costume. That was always a possibility. But, a guest wouldn't be back by the kitchen.

No matter which way Amanda considered it, the situation didn't look right. She thought about going to find Lee so that she could tell him about the mysterious handyman, but she didn't want to risk losing sight of him. It was a large house, and Lee could be anywhere. She watched the man as he walked down the hallway. When he turned the corner at the end of the hallway, Amanda started after him.


	13. Searching in the Dark

**Chapter 13: Searching in the Dark**

The haunted house in Senator Parker's mansion wasn't nearly as large as the one at the school. Of course, it was meant for a private party and not a public showcase.

According to Phelps, the haunted house was set up to cover three rooms: the music room, the library, and the billiard room.

"I feel like I've walked into a game of Clue," Lee thought.

"The guests are supposed to enter through the music room, then go through the connecting doors between each room, ending in the billiard room," Phelps explained.

"Just in case someone is already hiding in the haunted house," Billy said, "we'll divide into two groups. Lee, you and Phelps enter through the music room. Francine and I will enter through the billiard room, and we'll meet in the middle, in the library."

"Wait!" Lee said. "Phelps, are the things in the haunted house controlled by electric eye?"

"I think Mr. Goreman mentioned something like that," Phelps said.

"Are they turned on right now?"

"I don't know."

Lee turned to Francine and Billy and said, "Be careful. If the electric eye devices are turned on, just moving around could set off things in the haunted house."

"Oh, joy," Billy said. He and Francine headed down the hall to the billiard room door.

Lee drew his gun and nodded to Phelps that he was ready to enter the haunted house. Phelps drew his own weapon, and the two of them went inside.

The room wasn't completely dark, but it was dim. Colored lights aimed at the various frightening figures and decorations cast weird shadows around the room. Lee scanned the room with his eyes, but nothing moved.

The room had been set up to look like a concert for a monsters' convention. A couple of rows of chairs held an audience of figures that looked like monsters from various movies. A mummy sat next to a werewolf, who sat next to a witch. Cleverly, the figure behind the witch looked like it was trying to see around her tall, pointed hat.

The "musicians" were a vampire, who was seated at the piano, and (really cleverly) the Invisible Man, who was apparently holding a violin. Lee couldn't see the fine wires holding up the coat and hat that the Invisible Man was wearing as well as his violin, but he knew they must be there.

"We'll have to inspect every figure in this room," Lee told Phelps. "Any of them could be a person wearing a costume."

"Okay," Phelps said, heading toward the audience.

As he stepped further into the room, the vampire figure at the piano suddenly came to life.

"Gooood evening!" it said loudly. "Do you have any requests?"

Both Lee and Phelps tensed, their weapons raised.

The vampire's hands moved on the keyboard, and piano music filled the room. The bow on the Invisible Man's violin began to move also as he began to play the accompaniment.

Lee whirled around, checking to see if any of the other figures moved. So far, the "audience" was still, but there was probably a sensor that would set them off, too.

"Be careful!" Lee snapped at Phelps.

"Sorry," he said.

"Great," Lee thought. "I'm going to be jumping at every shadow in here."

Lee moved back by the door to the room to search for the light switch. Having normal lighting would make their job easier. However, when he flicked the switch, it just turned all the colored lights off, leaving them in the dark.

"Hey!" Phelps cried.

Lee quickly flicked the lights back on. "Sorry."

A quick glance around the room assured him that nothing had moved while the lights were out.

"Don't do that!" Phelps snapped.

"After this Halloween, I may never go in another haunted house again," Lee thought.

He jumped as Phelps set off an electric eye sensor that made the figure behind the witch reach for her hat and pull it off. Phelps was getting so twitchy that, for a moment, Lee was afraid that he was going to start shooting and blow the witch's head off.

"Just try to stay calm, okay?" Lee said to Phelps. "Remember, some of our people are somewhere in the haunted house, too. We don't want any friendly fire."

"Right," Phelps said, lowering his weapon.

"This is definitely the last haunted house I ever go in," Lee grumbled to himself while they continued their search.

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Francine and Billy weren't having it any easier. The billiard room had been turned into some kind of den for skeletal pirates. The billiard table had been covered over to make a banquet table for them, strewn with wooden tankards and gold coins from their treasure hoard.

"Well, isn't this cozy?" Francine remarked sarcastically. "Love what they've done with the décor."

"Just focus, Francine," Billy said. "Remember, we're looking for a killer."

"I remember," Francine said, glancing behind the door to make sure that no one was lurking there as they stepped into the room.

"At least we can be sure that none of these guys are our assassin in disguise," Billy noted as he examined one of the pirate skeletons. He stuck the tip of his finger in between the bones of the pirate's exposed rib cage.

"Disgusting," Francine said, wrinkling her nose. "What about that chest?"

"Chest?" Billy asked, looking at the undead pirate next to him.

"_That_ chest! Over there," Francine said, pointing to a closed wooden chest across the room. "It's big enough for a person to hide in."

"We'll check it out," Billy said.

Guns in hand, they slowly walked across the room.

"You stand to the side and open it," Billy said, aiming his gun at the wooden chest. "Be ready to jump back if anything moves."

Francine gave Billy a dirty look, but she knew that she was the logical person to open the box. Billy might not be a field agent any longer, but his marksmanship was excellent. Carefully, she reached out to take hold of the box lid.

Her hand had barely touched it when the lid suddenly sprang open. With a gasp, she jumped back. Billy almost fired upon the thing in the box, but just in time, he saw that it was only another skeleton. Its bones jiggled as it laughed at them. Then, it slowly sank back down into the box, and the lid closed again.

Billy lowered his gun and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"That wasn't funny," Francine said when she could speak again without her voice shaking.

"Come on," Billy said. "Let's finish up in here."

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Lee and Phelps entered the library at the same time as Billy and Francine. They paused for a moment when they spotted each other on opposite sides of the room. Billy silently motioned to Lee to take a look around the room. After looking carefully and not seeing anything other than the obvious Halloween decorations, Lee nodded to Billy and stepped into the room.

The library had been decorated as a kind of séance room. Luminous ghosts hung all around the walls, and in the middle of the room, there was a small, round table with a gypsy figure seated on one side and an empty chair on the other. There was a crystal ball in the center of the table, and the words "Madame Florica" were written in gold on the blue table cloth. There were also markings in the shape of a pair of hands in front of the empty chair.

The table looked too small for anyone to hide under, but Lee lifted the edge of the table cloth and checked anyway. Most of the space under the table was taken up by the electronics that controlled the display. Lee wondered what the display was supposed to do.

While Lee checked out the table, Phelps looked behind a couple of easy chairs but found nothing. Francine pulled aside the curtains that covered the French doors leading out to the garden. No one was behind the curtains, and the doors were securely locked.

"My men have been patrolling the outside of the house since before the party began, but I can station a couple to watch this door for the rest of the evening," Phelps said.

"That would be a good idea," said Billy as he stood next to Lee at the séance table.

Francine moved to join them, but she set off another electric eye on the way. A white ghost swooped down from the ceiling with an eerie wail. The men in the room started slightly at the sound, but Francine just looked annoyed.

"I never liked haunted houses," she said. "Give me the tunnel of love any day."

The others chuckled a little at her joke and relaxed a bit.

"Have you found anything?" Billy asked Lee. His eyes were still traveling around the room. All of the glowing ghosts were also see-through, so it was obvious that no one was hiding behind them.

"Nothing," Lee said, staring thoughtfully at the tablecloth.

"We haven't found anything, either," Billy said, sighing.

Madame Florica was Amanda's character from the school carnival, Lee remembered. Her name had probably been taken from this prop made by Goreman Electronics. Lee was a little surprised that they hadn't supplied one of the electronic versions for the school carnival, since they were going to so much trouble to show off their products there.

Of course, it was a pretty elaborate prop. Lee was curious to see how it worked. Sitting down in the empty chair, he placed his hands on the hand-shaped markings.

The gypsy came to life, saying, "Welcome! Let me tell your fortune."

The figure raised its hands and waved them over the crystal ball. The ball lit up. The lights inside changed color, from blue to red to green. Then, the ball turned a bright white, and Madame Florica said, "I can see your future now."

A small, white card popped out of a slit at the base of the crystal ball. Lee picked it up and read:

**Florica's Fortunes**

**Quote:** "Actions speak louder than words." – Old Proverb

**Your Situation:** You've been concerned about whether someone close to you really understands the way you feel. You want to say something, but you're not sure whether the other person will understand.

**Prediction:** Your special someone understands the situation much better than you think. Soon, this person will be grateful for a show of support from you.

**Advice:** If you can't bring yourself to speak, show the other person how you feel. Do something nice to let this person know that you care!

"Cute," Billy said, reading over Lee's shoulder, "but not much help with our problem."

"Yeah," Lee said, slipping the card into his pocket as he stood up. "It doesn't look like there's anybody hiding in here."

"We should check in with the other search team and see if they've found anything," Billy said. "Then, we can turn our attention to the ballroom."

"Let's go out that way," Lee said, gesturing to the music room with a grin. "Wait 'til you get a load of what's in there."

"Whatever it is, it's probably not as impressive as the skeleton pirates back that way," Billy said, returning Lee's grin.


	14. Showdown in the Pirates' Den

**Chapter 14: Showdown in the Pirates' Den**

Amanda followed the handyman through the back hallways of the house. In the distance, she could hear the sounds of the party, but this man seemed determined to avoid all of that.

Keeping well back, Amanda watched carefully from around a corner while the handyman entered a room at the end of a long hallway. She paused outside the door for a few moments, waiting for the man to move away from it before she tried to peek inside herself.

Of course, Lee would want her to find him and tell him about this instead of going in herself, but Amanda didn't think there was time. There was no telling where Lee was in this huge place, and she didn't want to lose the guy she was following. Amanda eased the door open slowly and peered inside.

"Oh, no," she whispered to herself. "Not another haunted house!"

There was no question that the decorations inside had come from Goreman Electronics. Some of them were identical to the ones Amanda had seen in the haunted house at the school, including the skeleton pirate sitting on the barrel. Amanda eased her way into the room and looked around.

The undead pirates seated around the table really made an impressive tableau, but the man that Amanda was following was gone. Across the room, she saw another door. Thinking that the man she was following might have gone that way, Amanda carefully made her way toward it, trying to watch for the electric eye sensors that would set off the automatons.

When Amanda cracked open the door, she saw the man she was looking for kneeling next to a table with a gypsy figure seated at it. Amanda stayed behind the door, watching him through the crack. The handyman's tool box was sitting on the floor next to him. He had taken out some tools and was tinkering with the display.

"What on Earth is he doing?" Amanda wondered.

She decided that this might be a good time to find Lee. The man seemed settled for the moment, and even if he was gone when she got back, they could notify security to stop him from leaving the house and check out the display he was working on. Whatever he was doing, Amanda was sure that he was no ordinary mechanic.

The man suddenly turned to reach for something in the toolbox, and Amanda automatically took a quick step back. Too quick. By accident, she set off one of the electric eye devices. The skeleton pirate sitting on the barrel suddenly burst into a round of "Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest."

"Oh, no!" Amanda thought. She knew the handyman must have heard that, and she had to get out of there fast.

Amanda turned to run and ended up colliding with one of the other pirate skeletons seated at the table. The door behind her flew open, and the handyman locked eyes with her.

With a gasp, Amanda tried to dodge around the table, but the handyman was too fast. He tackled her and brought her to the ground. As she fell, a sharp pain shot through her ankle. Amanda tried to cry out, but the man quickly covered her mouth. He managed to pin her down in spite of her struggling, and suddenly she felt something pressing against her ribs.

"I've got a gun," the man hissed in Amanda's ear. "You just sit still."

Amanda froze. There was nothing else she could do.

"Now, listen lady," the man continued. "There's something I've got to do . . . "

He never finished the thought. There were voices coming from the next room. The handyman cocked his head, listening.

"I'm sure that I heard something," Lee said.

"We'll take one last look, and then we have to check in with the other search team," Billy said.

Amanda's eyes widened as she recognized the voices of her friends. Somehow, she had to let them know she was there. The handyman still had his hand over her mouth, so she couldn't scream. However, she could move her hands. Right now, the man was more focused on the approaching voices than on her.

Trying not to attract the man's attention, Amanda carefully opened her purse and reached inside. Her hand closed on the little skull-shaped object near the bottom. Praying that this would work, Amanda turned it on.

The unearthly shrieks filled the room, even with the purse muffling the noise somewhat.

"What the—!" the handyman exclaimed.

He let go of Amanda's mouth so that he could yank her hand out of her purse. The hot pink shrieker fell from her hand and rolled across the floor.

"In here!" Lee yelled from the doorway.

The handyman turned to fire in Lee's direction.

"Lee!" Amanda screamed.

The handyman fired at Lee, but he must have missed. He ducked back behind the table as Lee returned fire. The shrieker was now emitting high-pitched laughter.

Amanda didn't want to get up for fear of being shot, but seeing a moment of distraction, she started to crawl away from the handyman. Sensing her movement, the man turned and grabbed hold of her, seizing her by her injured ankle. Amanda cried out as he squeezed her poor ankle tightly, trying to drag her back to him.

"I've got a woman here!" the man called out to Lee. "I'll kill her if you don't back off!"

"If you don't let her go, you're not going to leave this room alive!" Lee said.

Desperately, Amanda kicked the handyman, knocking his gun to the floor. He tried to pick it up, but she kicked it away with her good foot. The handyman swore at her, trying to keep hold of her and reach for the gun at the same time.

"Lee!" Amanda screamed again, giving the man another good kick.

"Hold it!" Lee said. He'd circled around the table while they were struggling and was pointing his gun at the handyman. "Let her go."

"Do as he says," Billy said from the other end of the table. He was also holding a gun.

The handyman let go of Amanda and raised his hands, looking defeated.

"Are you okay?" Lee asked Amanda.

"I'll be alright," she said. Her ankle still hurt, but now that Lee was there, she knew everything would be fine.

Francine also appeared, along with Phelps, the security guard.

"What the heck is this?" Phelps asked, picking up the shrieker. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when he turned it off.

"Get up!" Francine ordered the handyman.

Phelps handcuffed him, and Francine began frisking him for additional weapons.

"What's this here?" Francine asked, pulling something from one of the handyman's pockets.

"It looks like an invitation to the party," Phelps observed. "All of the guests had to show their invitations at the door. The name on this one is Charles Kelly."

"But this isn't Mr. Kelly," Amanda said. "I've met Charles Kelly. His kids go to school with mine, and his wife is president of the PTA."

"How did you get this?" Billy demanded, pointing to the invitation.

The handyman stared at him stonily.

"Mr. Kelly must have given it to him," Amanda said quietly. "His wife told me that they'd been invited to this party but couldn't come because they're overseeing the school's Halloween carnival. Mr. Kelly knew that he wouldn't be needing his invitation, so he gave it to him so that he could get into the party—"

"And kill Mr. Goreman," Lee finished for her. "Mr. Kelly is vice president of Goreman Electronics, so if anything happened to Mr. Goreman, he'd be in charge. Because Mr. Kelly was at the school carnival all evening, he'd also have a perfect alibi."

"Is that how you got it? Did Mr. Kelly hire you to kill Mr. Goreman?" Billy demanded.

"And is that why your friend went after Amanda today at the carnival?" Lee asked. "Mr. Kelly somehow found out that she'd talked to Max, and he was afraid that Max had told her what you were planning, wasn't he?"

The handyman glowered at them silently.

"Get him out of here," Billy said. "We'll question him further back at the Agency. And we'll arrange for someone to go pick up Charles Kelly."

"Come on," Francine said, pushing the man toward the door with help from Phelps.

"Can I give you a hand, Amanda?" Billy asked, holding out his hand to her.

"Thank you, sir," Amanda said.

But when Amanda tried to stand up, a sharp pain shot through her ankle. She fell back down, crying, "Ow! Ow, ow, ow!"

"Amanda, are you alright?" Lee asked, coming over to her.

"I don't think I can stand up," Amanda said, clutching her ankle. There were tears of pain in her eyes.

"Let me see it," Lee said, gently moving her hand. Carefully, he took off her shoe and began examining her ankle.

"Ouch!" she cried, wincing at his delicate prodding.

The wrappings that Amanda and her mother had put on were coming off, and Lee could tell that the ankle had started to swell.

"I think we'd better get you to a doctor," Lee said.

"Take her to the infirmary at the Agency," Billy said. "It'll be faster than the emergency room. I'll call and let them know to expect you."

"Put your arms around my shoulders, and I'll carry you," Lee said to Amanda.

"Lee, how can I go to a doctor? I'm supposed to be back at the carnival, being Madame Florica. Mother and the boys are there, and they'll come to see me in my tent, but I won't be there, and with the authorities coming to arrest Mr. Kelly . . . what on Earth am I going to say?"

"You'll say the truth," Lee answered. "You'll say that your ankle was hurt worse than you thought, and when it started to bother you more, a friend took you to a doctor."

"But Mother and the boys . . ."

"They'll be fine. Let me make a prediction for you, Madame Florica: after our men arrest Mr. Kelly, Mrs. Kelly is going to have a fit, and the carnival will end very quickly. Your mother and the boys will go straight home and find you nursing your ankle, having missed out on all the excitement, not knowing anything about any government investigation. On the other hand, if you try to go back to the carnival, Mr. Kelly might see you and let slip that you knew something about his illegal activities right in front of your mother and the boys. And if that doesn't do it for you, the members of the PTA might admire your sense of dedication, playing your part in the carnival in spite of your injury, so much that they will immediately appoint you president of the PTA on the spot."

"Lee, maybe you'd better take me to the doctor," Amanda said.

"My thoughts exactly," Lee said. "Now, put your arms around my shoulders and hang on."

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Billy watched Lee carry Amanda from the room. Poor Amanda had had quite an evening.

Before joining the others, Billy walked back into the séance room. He had noticed the toolbox there and could see that their handyman assassin had been attempting to do something with Madame Florica's table, no doubt rigging some kind of trap for Mr. Goreman. Billy made a mental note to have a couple of the Agency's electronics experts have a look at the table to figure out what he was trying to do.

On the table, there was another of Madame Florica's little white fortune cards. The machine had probably spit it out when the assassin started working on it. Curious, Billy picked it up and read the fortune:

**Florica's Fortunes**

**Quote:** "Nothing is so good as it seems beforehand." – George Eliot

**Your Situation:** Nothing has gone the way you've planned, and now you're in a world of trouble.

**Prediction:** The situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.

**Advice:** Fighting will only make it all worse. Things will go much easier for you if you just grit your teeth and face the music.

Billy smiled, pocketing the fortune. The advice part seemed to be mixing metaphors, but he could think of a couple of people it applied to. Maybe he'd show it to Mr. Kelly when he met him at the Halloween carnival.


	15. Halloween Scarecrow

**Chapter 15: Halloween Scarecrow**

There were a few raised eyebrows when Lee carried Amanda past the crowd of security guards and agents and out to his car, but Lee didn't really care. He had done something like this once before at a party. That time, Amanda had been injected with a poison and was unconscious. By comparison, helping her with an injured ankle was nothing.

Amanda smiled and laughed nervously at the onlookers, but Lee just kept walking, refusing even to stop and comment when Francine started to say something sarcastic about a helpless housewife. Phelps kindly followed them outside and opened Lee's car door so that he could settle Amanda inside.

When they reached the Agency, they were told that the infirmary had received Billy's call and that one of the doctors was standing by to treat Amanda. He gave her a pill to relieve the pain and began taking x-rays of her ankle. Lee hovered nearby, waiting to hear the diagnosis.

Lee was relieved when the doctor told them that it was just a sprain and that no bones were broken. The doctor rewrapped Amanda's ankle and supplied her with more pain medication and a pair of crutches to help her get around. Then, he wrote out a list of instructions, starting with a week of rest and regular use of ice on the ankle and ending with a few exercises for her to do to get the ankle back in shape after the pain and swelling had gone down.

Amanda fretted about not being able to get around much, but Lee told her that there was nothing for her to do at the Agency that couldn't wait a week.

"But Lee, Halloween is in two days! I was going to take the boys trick-or-treating and then over to the Johnsons' Halloween party . . ."

"Your mother can do all that," Lee said. "You deserve a little rest. Come on, I'll drive you home."

When they got to Amanda's house, her mother and the boys hadn't arrived yet. Amanda was worried because she'd expected them to already be there, but Lee just thanked his lucky stars that he had the chance to get Amanda home before they saw him. He went up to the house first to unlock the door and carry the crutches inside before going back to the car to get Amanda.

"I could have used the crutches," Amanda said as Lee reached for her. "You don't have to carry me."

"It's alright," Lee said soothingly as he picked her up. "I want to be careful of your ankle. Besides, this is faster, and your family will be home soon." He took her into the family room and settled her on the couch.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked as he propped the crutches next to her.

"Yes, although my ankle still hurts."

"The doctor said that you could have two of these tonight," Lee said, giving her more of the pain medication. "This is your second one, so no more until tomorrow, okay? The instructions are written on the bottle, in case your mother asks. It says these are going to make you drowsy, so you should get a good night's rest."

"I'm still sorry about Halloween," Amanda murmured softly. She was starting to feel sleepy, although she wasn't sure whether it was due to the medication or the evening's excitement.

"Don't be," Lee said. "Just put the candy out where the little ghouls can get it and stay inside where it's safe. Although, if you leave the back door unlocked, you might be visited by a friendly spirit . . ."

At that moment, Lee heard the sound of the front door and quickly retreated out the back. He paused just long enough on the back porch to listen to the boys talking about how cool it was that the police raided the school carnival and to hear Amanda's mother's concern at seeing the crutches and her daughter's ankle. Then, he hurried out to his car and drove away.

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"I'm sorry that you can't come with us tonight, dear," Dotty said, adjusting her witch's hat. "I know you were looking forward to it. I promise, I'll never try to talk you into wearing spiked heels again."

"Oh, it's alright, Mother," Amanda said from the couch as she watched an old horror movie on tv. "I'll be fine."

"I put the bowl of candy out front with a little sign that says, 'Take one,'" Dotty continued. "That way, you won't have to get up to answer the door. Of course, some of the little monsters will take a lot more, but that's not your concern. I just want you to get some rest."

"I will, Mother."

"I still can't believe you missed out on all the excitement at the carnival," Dotty said. "The Kellys were always kind of annoying, but I never would have thought that they were criminals."

"Apparently, Mrs. Kelly never even knew what her husband was up to," Amanda said. "That's what she told the PTA, anyway, in the letter that she wrote."

Mrs. Kelly had resigned from the PTA by mail, not daring to show her face at the school after what had happened. Her children hadn't returned to school either. Rumor had it that Mrs. Kelly had taken them to New York so that they could be near her relatives and away from the scandal that now surrounded her husband.

"Well, their marriage can't have been very good if she didn't know enough about him to figure things out for herself. That's all I have to say on that," Dotty said.

Amanda suspected that Dotty would find more to say on the subject as the press released more information about Mr. Kelly and his upcoming trial, but for now, Amanda just smiled and nodded.

"Now, after I drop the boys off at the Johnsons', I'm going to the Frankwells' party down the street. I won't stay late. I just want to congratulate Mrs. Frankwell on becoming the new PTA president," Dotty said.

"Give her my congratulations, too," Amanda said.

In a way, Amanda was now grateful for her injured ankle because it meant that she had missed the PTA meeting where Mrs. Kelly's letter was read aloud and where the new PTA president was chosen. The election was by nomination again, but since the candidates had to be present in order to be nominated, Amanda had been out of the running. The office instead went to her friend, Jane Frankwell, and Amanda was happy for her (not to mention relieved that she wouldn't have to do the job herself).

"I will, dear. And I'll walk home with the boys from the Johnsons' house. You just relax this evening."

"Thank you, Mother."

A few minutes later, Amanda heard the front door close, and the house was suddenly quiet. Amanda took her eyes off the tv screen and watched the back door. Sure enough, the knob turned and a familiar face peered in.

"Boo!" Lee said, grinning at her.

"You can come in. The coast is clear," Amanda said with a smile.

Lee entered, carrying two kids' trick-or-treat bags.

"Something for the boys?" Amanda asked.

"No, something for you," Lee said, sitting down next to Amanda on the couch. "How's that ankle?"

"Better," Amanda said, "although I took one of the pain pills this evening. Is Max alright?"

"He's going to be fine," Lee said. "Like you, he just needs some rest."

Mr. Kelly had been holding Max prisoner at some offices he'd rented on a temporary basis. At first, Mr. Kelly had denied everything, but his accomplices decided to rat on him in exchange for reduced sentences.

Frank, the man they'd apprehended at the senator's Halloween party, was an electrician who had once worked for Goreman Electronics. He'd been fired for stealing some equipment from the company and was bitter about it, so when Mr. Kelly had approached him, offering a large sum of money for his help in killing Mr. Goreman, Frank had accepted.

Their plan had been to rig Madame Florica's table so that it would electrocute Mr. Goreman when he placed his hands on the plates that would activate the display. They had hoped that everyone would assume that it was just an accident because the table hadn't been wired properly. Even if someone had figured out that it was foul play, Mr. Kelly would have had his alibi at the school carnival. Frank had recruited his friend, Tony, to help him and to give him an alibi also, in case anyone questioned him later. They might have succeeded in their plot if Tony hadn't decided to brag about the scheme to Olivia.

"Speaking of rest," Lee added, "Billy told me to give this to you. He said that Madame Florica's crystal ball spit it out while our people were inspecting the table, and he insists that you follow the advice."

Amanda took the little card that Lee handed her and read:

**Florica's Fortunes**

**Quote:** "Home is where the heart is." – Old Proverb

**Your Situation:** You've had a hard time of it lately and are in need of some rest and relaxation.

**Prediction:** Pushing yourself at this stage would be a mistake. If you take it easy and go with the flow, things will turn out much better.

**Advice:** Tonight, stay home, put your feet up, and relax.

Amanda laughed. "I didn't think you believed in fortune-telling."

"That doesn't mean that it isn't good advice," Lee said, "which it why I brought a few things to help you relax."

Opening the first treat bag, he said, "To begin with, here are some things that you left behind at the school carnival." He handed Amanda one of the spiky shoes that had caused her ankle injury. "You left this back in Madame Florica's tent. One isn't any good without the other."

"Thanks," Amanda said, "although I don't plan to wear them ever again."

"I wouldn't think so," Lee said. "We also found your scarf back in the haunted house, and I brought you your crystal ball."

Amanda laughed and took the crystal ball from Lee. In her best Madame Florica voice, she said, "I am getting a vision . . . I see candy, lots of candy . . ."

"You really are good," Lee said, opening the other bag. That one contained a box of chocolates, a bag of popcorn, and a bottle of wine. "I thought that you could use a little Halloween treat."

"Thank you," Amanda said, "but with the medication I'm on, I can't drink . . . wine." She finished the sentence in her best Bela Lugosi imitation.

"Then, we'll save it for later," Lee said, pulling one more small package out of the bag. "I also got you this as kind of a souvenir from the carnival."

Her eyes bright with curiosity, Amanda opened the package. When she saw what was inside, she laughed out loud. It was a keychain, only this one had a little scarecrow charm instead of a pumpkin.

"Aww!" Amanda said. "This is a lot cuter than the jack-o-lantern."

"And a lot safer," Lee said. "No hidden messages, I promise."

"No hidden messages, Scarecrow?" Amanda asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well, only 'Get well, partner,'" Lee said, putting his arm around her.

The two of them spent the rest of the evening watching old horror movies on tv. Amanda leaned against Lee, enjoying his company and thankful that she had her own personal Scarecrow to keep all the scary things away.

**The End**

**Happy Halloween!**

* * *

Author's Note: Happy Birthday, Kate Jackson!


End file.
